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Productive, acrimonious budget session concludes
The 18th Lok Sabha’s second session saw a productivity of 136% in the lower house and 112% in the Rajya Sabha.
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A productive yet acrimonious session of Parliament, which unveiled landmark bills and the first Union Budget after the 2024 elections, concluded on Friday ahead of schedule. The session was marked by frequent clashes between Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar and the Opposition, as well as walkouts and protests in both houses.
During the session, the crisis in Bangladesh took centre stage as Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was forced to resign amid widespread protests and fled to India. External affairs minister S Jaishankar held an all-party meeting to discuss the situation and delivered two suo motu statements on the matter.
The 18th Lok Sabha’s second session saw a productivity of 136% in the lower house and 112% in the Rajya Sabha. The government introduced 11 new bills, including the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, which stipulates that only a person practicing Islam for at least five years may declare a waqf and allows non-Muslims, women, and backward classes of Muslims to become members of the Waqf board. The bill was referred to a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) for examination after many members objected to certain clauses, particularly the one allowing non-Muslims to decide on Waqf properties, questioning if such amendments align with the spirit of the Constitution.
The session, which began on July 22 amidst the NEET scam, featured debates on the Wayanad landslide, the death of three students in a Delhi coaching institute, and an extensive discussion on the Budget. However, tensions between Dhankhar and the Opposition escalated in the final days, with the Opposition preparing to bring a motion for his removal.
Congress lawmaker Ajay Maken accused Dhankhar of partisanship in conducting the house’s business, stating, “We cannot be mute spectators to the murder of democracy.” He added that other Opposition parties shared the sentiment.
In his valedictory speech, Dhankhar reaffirmed his commitment to securing Members’ participation to perform their constitutional duty and serve the nation’s welfare.
Expressing his “deep hurt at the intemperate language” used against him without premise, Dhankhar emphasised the need to prevent the sacred precincts of Rajya Sabha from becoming a ground for destabilizing democracy.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla declared the session productive, highlighting the general discussion on the Union Budget 2024-25, which lasted 27 hours and 19 minutes with 181 Members participating. Twelve Government Bills were introduced, four were passed, and 86 starred questions were answered orally during the session. Members raised 400 matters of urgent public importance during the Zero Hour, and 358 matters were taken up under Rule 377.
