Vociferous protests by opposition parties, demanding discussions on price-rise and the hike in GST rates, marked the start of a stormy Monsoon Session of Parliament on Monday, even as Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu, presiding over his last session, urged MPs to be “different and better” than they were in the last five years, when 57 percent of House sittings were partly or fully disrupted.
Leader of Opposition in the House, Mallikarjun Kharge, and several Opposition members had given notices seeking suspension of business to take up discussion on a variety of issues — among them, the rise in fuel prices, hike in GST, and the Agnipath scheme for short-term recruitment into the forces.
But their notices were not accepted.
In his opening address, Naidu said the Monsoon Session is the last session in the 75th year of Independence and asked MPs to give their best performance to make it a memorable session. He said: “Dealing with about 245 members of this august House from over 30 political parties, with different minds, inclinations and political ideologies, is quite revealing and even a testing experience…. During the last 13 sessions, 141 of 248 scheduled full sittings, accounting (for) 57 per cent of total sittings, were disrupted partly or fully. All of you would agree that this could have been better, given our mission for the nation.
“And we must always try to fulfill the mission with passion for the sake of the nation.”
However, he said, “Better late than never. It is time to be different and better. I would like to remind all of you that this is the last session in the 75th year of our hard-fought Independence and is being celebrated across the country. As in the case of all 13 sessions that I presided over, I would like to fervently appeal to all of you to give out your best performance to make this session a memorable one, particularly in the context of its significance.”
Soon after Naidu’s address, Opposition MPs demanded discussion on the increase in fuel prices and hike in GST rates. Shouting slogans, they soon trooped into the Well. Naidu then said, “As some people have come determined not to allow the House to function, and also for enabling the members to go and vote in the Presidential election, I am adjourning the House for the day.”
“Today, the Opposition led by Congress got the Rajya Sabha adjourned for the day on the urgent issue of continuing, intolerable increase in prices of essential commodities, on which a discussion was denied,” Congress chief whip Jairam Ramesh said.
Party MP K C Venugopal, “…Like always,no discussion was allowed and the House was adjourned. We will continue to raise this issue,” said
Earlier, Naidu said he expects the session to set the right tone for functioning of the House for the “next 25 years of Amrit Kaal, a critical period to take India to an entirely new plain by the time our nation rejoices the centenary of its Independence”. He said he expects all to be propelled by the spirit of ‘New India’ so the nation makes up for missed time and opportunities.
“This spirit shall also inspire all other stakeholders,” he said.