The Rajya Sabha was adjourned indefinitely on Friday amid continuous disruptions following Thursday’s commotion between members of Parliament over issues including comments on B. R. Ambedkar and physical altercations. As the proceedings began, opposition members raised a ruckus, prompting Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar to suspend the session until 12 noon. However, the disruptions persisted, leading to the indefinite adjournment of the House.
Before the adjournment, twelve members of the Rajya Sabha were nominated to the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) formed to deliberate on the “One Nation, One Election” proposal. The nominated members include Ghanashyam Tiwari, Bhubaneswar Kalita, K. Laxman, Kavita Patidar, Sanjay Kumar Jha, Randeep Singh Surjewala, Mukul Balakrishna Wasnik, Saket Gokhale, P. Wilson, Sanjay Singh, Manas Ranjan Mangaraj, and V. Vijayasai Reddy. Earlier this week, twenty-seven members of the Lok Sabha were also appointed to the committee.
Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar, delivering his closing remarks for the winter session, expressed disappointment over the session’s low productivity. Marking the seventy-fifth anniversary of the Constitution, he stated that the occasion called for serious reflection. He noted that the purpose of celebrating Constitution Day was to reaffirm democratic values, but the proceedings of this session painted a contrasting picture.
The session saw an alarmingly low productivity rate of just 40.03%, with effective working hours amounting to only forty-three hours and twenty-seven minutes. Jagdeep Dhankhar pointed out that disruptions in parliamentary proceedings continue to erode public trust in democratic institutions. He acknowledged a few legislative successes, including the passage of the Oilfields Amendment Bill and the Boilers Bill 2024, as well as a statement by the Minister of External Affairs on India-China relations. However, he emphasized that these achievements were overshadowed by the overall failures of the House.
Highlighting key concerns, Jagdeep Dhankhar criticized the growing trend of publicizing notices through the media before parliamentary deliberations and the frequent misuse of Rule 267 to disrupt proceedings. He called this behavior detrimental to the dignity of parliamentary institutions. Stressing the responsibilities of elected representatives, he reminded members of Parliament that India’s 1.4 billion citizens expect higher standards of governance and conduct from their leaders.
The winter session, marked by significant disruptions and political discord, serves as a stark reminder of the need for more constructive and meaningful parliamentary dialogue.
