Parliament logjam: Blame game continues

The citizens of the country have been taken for a royal ride by the political class. In utter disregard for democratic values, lawmakers continued to disrupt Parliamentary proceedings, forcing the Speaker to adjourn the day’s business.

Even the shocking revelation by external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj that all the 39 Indians who went missing in the troubled Iraqi town of Mosul have now been confirmed dead failed to douse the fire, as the no-trust motion against the government took precedence over the loss of human lives.

Just to remind you, this is the 12th straight session that has been washed out without transacting any business, thanks to the unruly behaviour of MPs from both the treasury and Opposition benches.


For every one-day washout of the Parliament session the loss to the national exchequer is Rs 9 crore. In fact, there has been no meaningful discussion in both Houses in the second leg of the Budget session, with even the all-important finance bill getting passed through a guillotine motion.

The government blames the unruly Opposition for the sorry state of affairs, but the opposition parties say there has been no sincere attempt to ensure a smooth functioning of Parliament. The blame game continued on ET NOW’s India Development Debate as well, as political observers tried to make sense of the Parliament logjam. Here are some key takeaways:

PANEL VIEW

NALIN KOHLI
NATIONAL SPOKESPERSON, BJP

While the primary responsibility for the smooth conduct of Parliament lies with the government, the Opposition is not without any responsibility either. It is not a one-way street, because it is Parliament of India and everyone who gets elected as an MP or is nominated to the Upper House is taking the oath of the Constitution to serve the people. When you ask me who is responsible, I don't know. I can only tell you the facts and let your viewers decide.

MILIND DEORA
CONGRESS LEADER

The responsibility of running the House is on the government. When Narendra Modi became the PM the first legislation that his government enacted was the Land Acquisition Bill. What did the government do? They promulgated three ordinances; basically told Parliament to get lost. It is in our interest we should work together. There is the PNB scam and the demand for special status for Andhra. We would like the House to function and the government be held accountable. You have to reach out. You can’t be egomaniac.

MB RAJESH
MP, CPI (M)

Even yesterday our floor leader conveyed that we are in favour of the smooth functioning the House. The Speaker had suggested government finds a solution, but they have not done anything. This protest is a government-engineered one. The government wants to run away from burning issues. Members in the well are from parties friendly to the BJP. In the past four years, all institutions have suffered. We have one minister initiate a debate on whether we need the Rajya Sabha at all.

CHAKSHU ROY
HEAD OF OUTREACH, PRS LEGISLATIVE RESEARCH

The real question to ask is, what is the cost to the country? The cost to the country cannot be calculated in terms of money. It has to be calculated on the basis of opportunity lost. If a Consumer Protection Bill is not getting passed, what is the opportunity cost to consumers who have filed complaints against companies and service providers? If a Motor Vehicle Act is not passed, what it means to motorists or people on the road when accidents happen? That is the real loss.

SAGARIKA GHOSE
CONSULTING EDITOR, TOI

All political parties are to blame. Democracy is manifested in debates and discussion in Parliament, and it has ceased to function. The government simply refuses to allow debates on no-trust motion or the Rafale fighter jet deal. The opposition, on its part, has personalised the battle. The relationship between the government and the opposition has completely broken down. Democracy is based on shared norms. You can’t seek to annihilate the other side. Both are taking that position. The entire focus is on the 2019 general election.