Both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha were adjourned sine die on August 11, bringing an end to the Monsoon Session, which was marked by persistent protests by the Opposition over the violence in Manipur, and a no-confidence motion against the Narendra Modi government.
The last day of the session witnessed a boycott of the valedictory sessions in both Houses by the Opposition parties belonging to the Indian National Developmental, Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) to protest against the suspension of the Congress Leader of the Lok Sabha, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, and the failure to take up a detailed discussion on the Manipur situation in the Rajya Sabha.
Also read: Parliament Monsoon Session Updates | August 11, 2023
The no-confidence motion was brought by the Congress Deputy Leader of the Lok Sabha, Gaurav Gogoi. The discussion lasted for more than 19 hours, spread over three days, and saw the participation of 60 members. Prime Minister Narendra Modi replied to the debate on the motion, which was defeated by voice vote.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, in his valedictory address, said 17 sittings were held, lasting for 44 hours and 13 minutes. He said the Lower House achieved a productivity of 45%.
Mr. Birla said 20 government Bills were introduced and 22 draft legislation were passed by the House. Some of the important Bills that were passed during the session were the Multi-State Cooperative Societies (Amendment) Bill, Digital Personal Data Protection Bill, National Nursing and Midwifery Commission Bill, National Dental Council Bill, Jan Vishwas (Amendment) Bill, Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, and the Armed Forces Organisation (Command, Control, and Discipline) Bill.
Mr. Modi and members of the Treasury benches were present when the National Song was played on Friday before the Lok Sabha was adjourned indefinitely. Members of the Biju Janata Dal, the YSR Congress Party, and the Shiromani Akali Dal were also present in both Houses.
Dhankhar’s message
In his valedictory address, Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar said his appeals had not resonated well with the members.
“The frequent, unwholesome spectacle of disruptions only indicates that my message has not found the attentive audience it deserves,” he said.
The Upper House, he said, lost a total of 50 hours and 21 minutes during the 17 sittings due to “avoidable disruptions”.
“We have been able to pass a few Bills during the session that witnessed some lively and animated debate. We could take up questions on a few occasions, but I feel the productivity of the Question Hour could have been much better,” Mr. Dhankhar said.
The Chairman said it was wrong to say that Bills were passed in the absence of Opposition members as they decided to boycott the proceedings and “chose not to perform their constitutional duty”.
Mr. Modi skipped the Rajya Sabha entirely during the session. He was also absent on Friday when the House felicitated the retiring members.
“Normally Prime Ministers are present when members retire from the Rajya Sabha. Today, PM was missing,” Congress chief whip Jairam Ramesh said.
