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Lok Sabha lost 65 hours due to disruptions, protests in Winter Session
The Lok Sabha lost 65 hours and 15 minutes due to interruptions, while the Rajya Sabha had only 43 hours of effective functioning.
The Lok Sabha lost 65 hours and 15 minutes due to interruptions in the just-concluded Winter Session of Parliament. This was the highest time lost due to interruptions in all three sessions of the year.
The lower house of Parliament lost 5 hours and 37 minutes in the first session (Budget Session) and 1 hour and 53 minutes in the second session (Monsoon Session).
The Winter Session of Parliament was held between November 25 and December 20. Twenty sittings were held during the session which lasted for around sixty-two hours, the data showed.
A total of five Bills were introduced in this session, while four Bills were passed. These included two landmark Bills on simultaneous polls, which were referred to a 39-member Joint Parliament Committee (JPC).
Sixty-one starred questions were answered orally, and a total of 182 matters of urgent public importance were raised by the members of Parliament during the Zero Hour.
Also Read | Protest vs protest on last day as House session ends
A total of 397 matters were taken up under Rule 377. Overall, the productivity of the house during the session stood at 57.87%.
During the Winter Session, a discussion on the “Glorious Journey of 75 years of the adoption of Constitution of India” also took place place between December 13 and December 14.
On the last day of the Winter Session, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla underscored the importance of maintaining the dignity and decorum of the Parliament.
Also Read | Om Birla bans demonstrations at Parliament after NDA vs INDIA scuffle
"It is the collective responsibility of all the members to maintain the dignity and decorum of Parliament," Om Birla said.
Meanwhile, the Rajya Sabha effectively functioned for just 43 hours and 27 minutes with a productivity of merely 40.03% during the Winter Session.
Disruptions in Parliament
The session began on November 25 as the Opposition attempted to corner the government over allegations of corruption against the Adani Group in the US.
The session also saw the Opposition filing a no-confidence motion against Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, accusing him of "partisan" conduct as the chairman of the Upper House.
This was the first attempt in independent India to remove the chairman of the Upper House. The notice was dismissed by Rajya Sabha deputy chairman Harivansh on December 19.
The Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha also held special debates to mark 75 years of the Constitution, where the government accused the Congress of undermining the Constitution, while the Opposition's INDIA bloc alleged that the BJP was working against vulnerable communities.
A new low, however, was witnessed in the final days of the winter session after members of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and Opposition's INDIA bloc came face to face in the Parliament. Two MPs sustained injuries and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi was accusedof shoving and hurting at least one of them.
Also Read | House acrimony goes from face-off to dust-up
The Congress refuted the allegations and said BJP legislators blocked Gandhi’s way and pushed Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, injuring him in the knee. Two FIRs, one by the BJP and another by the Congress, were filed.
The controversy came against the backdrop of a row over Shah’s comments on Ambedkar in the Rajya Sabha. During his reply to the debate marking 75 years of the Constitution, Shah had attacked the Congress and alleged the opposition party repeatedly disrespected Ambedkar. “It has become a fashion to say Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar…If they had taken God’s name so many times, they would have secured a place in heaven for seven lifetimes…” he said.
