New Delhi: Minutes after Rahul Gandhi called for extending the winter session of parliament to pass all anti-graft bills, Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar adjourned the House sine die leaving many questions unanswered even as the government hinted that the house may be reconvened in January.
“I was surprised when the house was adjourned sine die. Though there were reports that there will be an early adjournment, but after the Lokpal bill was passed and senior Congress leaders said more bills will be passed, we were not really expecting parliament to end two days in advance,” an MP said.
For some it was not a big surprise though. “The members were aware... In any case, the house was not functioning and was embarrassing for for everybody, and there was also a no confidence motion,” Sikkim Democrat Front MP P D Rai said.
The Congress has said the government adjourned the House due to repeated disruptions. “When the house is not allowed to function, what is the point of the parliament session. Even a bill like Lokpal had to be passed in din,” Meem Afzal, the Congress spokesperson, said.
Afzal added that since the house has not been prorogued, a second part of the session may be called. After being adjourned sine die, the parliament session is prorogued by the president, which means discontinuing the sitting of the house without dissolving it. Once prorogued, parliament can be reconvened only when the president calls the next session. A sine die adjourned house can, however, be reconvened by the chair after a date for the sitting is decided.
“The government is willing to take up more bills, so the session was not prorogued. We will talk to other political parties and if there is a consensus the second part of the session may be called in January,” Afzal said. Some sources however say the government felt the heat over the formation of Telangana, leading to an early adjournment.
“Pressure on Telangana issue cannot be denied, unless they are pacified nothing can be done. Perhaps by the time the second half of winter session is called, government may find some way to pacify both Telangana and Rayalaseema MPs,” said another Congress leader, who declined to be named.
IANS
