Nuclear deal deadlock forces monsoon session to end early

The monsoon session was jinxed at the very outset. Not a day went without an adjournment. The two Houses had only 17 sittings spread over 32 days during the whole session. While the Lok Sabha lost 42 hours 40 per cent of its time due to adjournments, the Rajya Sabha lost 42 hours 49 per cent of its time. The Lok Sabha failed to take up question hour on eight days and the Rajya Sabha on seven days. Of the total 380 starred questions required to be answered by ministers listed, only 2.05 questions per day could be answered in the Lok Sabha.

Parliament had been, in fact, abuzz with the talk of an early sine die adjournment of both Houses for several days due to the face-off between the Government and the Opposition following the latter8217;s demand for a joint parliamentary committee to examine the nuclear deal. The Government apparently wanted to time it in a manner that it was able to send a signal across to people that the Opposition was not interested in a debate, it only wanted to disrupt proceedings. The Rajya Sabha was adjourned sine die a little after 4 pm. The Lok Sabha was adjourned after 5 pm, an hour after the House was scheduled to take up a debate on the nuclear deal.

Chatterjee in his valedictory reference said: 8220;It is extremely disturbing that the highest forum in this country has almost come to a standstill which has raised questions about the utility of our system of parliamentary democracy and about its future.8221;

Chatterjee said he was not blaming anybody and 8220;everybody should introspect8221;.

The Speaker said despite his repeated requests, some very important legislative business had to be completed without discussion and some matters of great public importance could not even be taken up.

The Government blamed the Opposition. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Priyaranjan Dasmunsi said, 8220;The BJP wanted to avoid any debate in the House for fear of exposure of what they did while holding negotiations with the US during NDA rule.8221; He trashed the BJP demand for a JPC arguing that it would be violative of the Speaker8217;s ruling.

Said CPIM Politburo member Sitaram Yechury: 8220;We strongly the condemn the tactics of the principal Opposition party of not allowing a discussion on the nuclear deal.8221; He said Parliament was adjourned sine die due to the BJP8217;s obdurate position. He recalled the Business Advisory Committees of both Houses had finalised dates for the nuclear debate and still the BJP scuttled it.

However, BJP parliamentary party spokesman Vijay Kumar Malhotra defended his party and said, 8220;The stalemate is unfortunate, but the Government must understand that a majority in Parliament is against the deal.8221; He said the Government had set up a mechanism on the deal after excluding the principal opposition party.