PTI
NEW DELHI, DECEMBER 23
The Winter session of Lok Sabha was adjourned sine die today after passing a “record” number of 18 legislations, including amendment bills on amend coal mines allocation and labour laws, in 22 sittings.
Speaker Sumitra Mahajan announced the sine die adjournment soon after noon when the House re-assembled after an adjournment forced by a vociferous opposition which demanded a response from Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the issue of conversions. Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge made a vain attempt to seek a response from the Prime Minister, who was present in the House, on the conversion issue.
“I will not allow anyone to speak. I not allow even the Prime Minister to speak,” the Speaker said.
When Kharge rose to speak after papers were laid, Mahajan said in a lighter vein “aap kuchh achhi baat toh karte nahin (You don’t say anything good).”To that Kharge said “I will say something good” and wanted the Prime Minister to make a statement.
Apparently referring to the Prime Minister’s ‘Mann ki baat’ programme on All India Radio, some Congress members were heard saying, “PM apni mann ki baat sadan ko bole (The PM should speak his heart out in the House).” However, the Speaker asserted that nobody would be allowed to speak. “Jab maine bola nahin, toh nahin (When I have said No, it is No),” she said.
After that she said, “I am happy to inform you that 18 legislations were passed during the session which is a record of sorts in the recent years.” Observing that almost three hours were lost due to disruptions and adjournments, the Speaker said that during the 22 sittings of the Winter session, the House unanimously adopted two resolutions condemning the massacre of innocent school children in Peshawar and the release on bail of 26/11 mastermind Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi by a Pakistani Court.
During the session which began on November 24, Calling Attention motion was taken up on issues like abduction and harassment of Indian fisherman by Sri Lankan Navy, adulteration in food items, rise in prices of life saving drugs and the spread of encephalitis in UP and other parts of the country, Mahajan said.
Issues of public importance like conversion issue, bringing back black money stashed away abroad, impact of natural calamities and dilution of MGNREGA were also taken up. A special discussion was also held on the threat of plastics and problems relating to Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana.
The Speaker also referred to introduction of 68 non-official bills and discussion on Private Members’ resolutions, including those on implementation of recommendations of the national farmers commission, to impart skills to the youth and achieve the objective of ‘Make In India’.
The House, which met for a total of 129 hours, spent over 17 hours to dispose of financial and other important items, which is “laudable and I thank the members for this”. She also extended greetings to the members for Christmas and New Year expressing confidence that the new year would bring new energy to strengthen democracy and create a strong India.
Opposition parties today forced adjournment in Lok Sabha till noon over their demand for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s reply to the conversion issue.
Members of Congress, TMC, Left, RJD, JD(U) and SP stormed into the Well raising slogans against ‘ghar wapsi’ (conversion) as soon as proceedings began in the House after Speaker Sumitra Mahajan rejected their notices for adjournment.
Some members were also heard raising slogans against police atrocities on their party workers, apparently during the Janata Parivar parties’ rally in the national capital yesterday.
Leader of Congress Mallikarjun Kharge urged the Speaker to adjourn the House, saying it was the last day of the session and such protests should not be going on. “You can adjourn and then take up issues at noon,” he said.
Several opposition members squatted in the Well, raising slogans and demanding the PM’s reply.
Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi was also in the House but he did not join other members in the Well.
Opposition led by Samajwadi Party and JD-U today disrupted proceedings in Rajya Sabha accusing the government of using police force to prevent workers from attending the Janata Parivar rally at Jantar Mantar and sought an apology from it.
Members of SP and JD-U stormed the well and started shouting slogans against the government alleging atrocities on their workers yesterday, forcing the Chair to adjourn the House till noon and then till 1 PM.
Raising the issue during Zero Hour, Naresh Agarwal (SP) said workers at the rally were lathi-charged by police and prevented from entering Delhi to participate in the rally.
"Workers attending the Janata Parivar rally yesterday were prevented from entering Delhi and were lathi-charged. The government's dictatorship will not work. They cannot throttle the voice of the opposition by using force. Government should reply. If government does not reply, we will not allow the House to run," he said, while demanding an apology from the government.
He said his party wants that the House should function on the last day of the session, but Government should first apologise.
Sharad Yadav (JD-U) said the government should reply and assure the House that such a situation would not happen in future.
Deputy Chairman P J Kurien kept urging the protesting members to return to their seats so that the House could proceed with Zero Hour mentions on the last day of the Winter Session.
SP members, however, did not relent and kept raising slogans like "Government's dictatorship will not work. Prime Minister should reply". Some members of TMC, Left parties and Congress too were on their feet.
Raising the issue during Zero Hour, Leader of the Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad said the issue of conversions has been internationalised as statements on the issue have increased and the world is watching where the country was heading to. The Prime Minister is the only person one who can answer.
"The issue has gone beyond the boundaries of the country. There is talk all over the world as to where India is heading towards. It seems the country has started moving in the wrong direction. There is unrest in the whole country, both inside and outside the House.
"The Prime Minister is not just of the BJP but of the whole country, including me and all parties. He should come and assure (members) that under his Prime Ministership in his government people of every caste, community, region and religion will remain safe. Only the Prime Minister can give such an assurance, the Leader of the House cannot," Azad said.
The Leader of Opposition said such statements on conversion issue are increasing since Friday. Without naming the RSS, he said, "big leaders of organisations where BJP has its roots have made statements".
"We would like to know on the last day if the Prime Minister will come here and give an assurance to the nation that he will not allow such statements and maintain the unity of the country. If someone will make such statements, he will take stern action against them," he said.
Azad said his party, Congress, and other parties want the House to run and was ready to pass all the bills. The government, however, did not give any assurance on the Prime Minister's reply.
Amid uproar, Kurien adjourned the House till noon. When the House reassembled, similar scenes prevailed and it was adjourned till 1 PM.
When the House met for Question Hour, Congress members stood up demanding a statement from the Prime Minister on growing communal incidents and shouted "PM lao, House chalao."
Satyavrat Chaturvedi (Cong) accused the treasury bench of failing to run the House. His remark was countered by some members from the treasury bench.
Sitaram Yechury (CPI-M) also demanded Prime Minister's presence in the House and make a statement after listening to the members. As Chairman Hamid Ansari's plea to allow the proceedings went unheeded, he adjourned the House till 1 PM.
