Important bills fail Parliament's nod

NEW DELHI: One of the shortest winter sessions of Parliament that ended on Friday was also among the least fruitful as the government failed to get important legislations such as the bill banning instant talaq and the one giving constitutional status to the National Commission for Backward Classes passed.

The highlight of the 22-day session that began on December 15 was the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2017. While the government used its majority in the Lok Sabha to introduce and pass the bill on the same day (December 28), a united opposition and even NDA partners such as TDP objected to the penal provision in the proposed legislation and demanded it be sent to a select committee.

While the opposition demanded that the amendment seeking to send the instant talaq bill to the committee be put to vote, the government questioned the move citing some technical issues. The bill is still pending in the Upper House and its fate will be decided in the forthcoming budget session beginning January 29.

The government introduced in the Lok Sabha the Constitutional Amendment Bill that would give the National Commission for Backward Classes the same powers that the SC and ST Commission have. This bill was defeated in the Rajya Sabha in the monsoon session and the government had to bring a fresh bill.

The government managed to get Parliament’s nod to 22 bills but most of them were minor legislations, bills on ordinances or money bills. These included bills on three ordinances — The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (Amendment) Ordinance; GST (Compensation to states) Amendment Ordinance, 2017; and Indian Forest (Amendment) Ordinance, 2017.

There were rare moments when the Rajya Sabha, where the Opposition has the majority, showed unity. External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj’s statement, condemning the treatment given to Kulbhushan Jadhav’s mother and wife by Pakistan, was supported by all. The Opposition raised concern in both Houses over the Bhima-Koregaon violence in Mumbai. Three senior Rajya Sabha members — Karan Singh, Janaradhan Dwivedi and Parvez Hashmi — completed their term.