Constant disruptions hold up Parliament, winter session in deep freeze

New Delhi: Three days gone and Parliament has not seen a day's work in the 12-day winter session.

The ruling Congress is yet to emerge from the shock of a massive defeat at the hands of main rival BJP in key states very close to general elections. As the party gets into a huddle to re-align its political strategy, its efforts at ensuring that Parliament runs have seemed less than spirited.

It has also had to sooth the nerves of jittery allies while it tackles an aggressive BJP emboldened by its victory.

Since the session began on December 5, the opposition has held up Parliament proceedings with constant disruptions over issues like the Joint Parliamentary Committee or JPC on the 2G spectrum scam, the death of children in relief camps in Muzaffarnagar, inflation and Telangana.

The BJP's Arun Jaitley has declared that after the election results "When you are 18 short of majority, then you cannot run the government as you please. You cannot touch the 272 mark in Lok Sabha - you will need support and help. And whenever you need help, you have to compromise and pay a price".

Advertisement

Among important legislation lined up for the winter session is the Lokpal Bill, which the Centre promised to push through in this session. Its promise came yesterday, soon after Gandhian activist Anna Hazare began yet another indefinite hungerstrike to demand that the Bill, which creates a national ombudsman or Lokpal empowered to investigate charges of corruption against elected representatives and bureaucrats, be passed in this session.  

The Bill has been passed by the Lok Sabha and is now pending before the Rajya Sabha. If the Centre pushes it through, the initiative will be attributed to the spectacular performance in the Delhi elections of the Aam Aadmi Party, whose founder Arvind Kejriwal partnered with Anna in 2011 to champion the Lokpal Bill.

Advertisement

The UPA government however has exactly eight days to fulfill its promise. The Winter Session ends on December 20.

It has also promised to demonstrate its commitment to carving a new Telangana state out of Andhra Pradesh by bringing a bill on it in this short session.