New Delhi: Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju has strongly countered criticism from the Congress party regarding the shortened Winter Session of Parliament, which is scheduled to convene from December 1 to December 19. The session, spanning only fifteen working days, has been labeled "unusually delayed and truncated" by the Congress, who also allege that the government lacks significant legislative business.
Rijiju, in his response, dismissed the Congress's concerns, suggesting their criticism was disingenuous. He said that the government is committed to policies that support national progress. Without directly quoting, Rijiju implied that the Congress party's opposition was politically motivated and lacked genuine concern for parliamentary proceedings.
The Congress's critique extends beyond the session's duration. Jairam Ramesh, Congress general secretary, questioned the government's agenda, implying a lack of substantial legislative work. Derek O'Brien, a Trinamool Congress MP, went further, accusing the Modi administration of "Parliament-ophobia".
This year's Winter Session is not the first to face such scrutiny. Since the Modi government assumed power in 2014, there has been a noticeable trend toward shorter parliamentary sessions. The average session length has been 22 working days, but many have fallen short of this mark. The upcoming session will be the fourth shortest under Modi's leadership, with previous Winter Sessions in 2017 (13 days), 2022 (13 days), and 2023 (14 days) being even briefer. The 2023 session was further marked by mass suspensions of opposition lawmakers.
Conversely, some sessions have exceeded expectations. The longest was the 37-day Budget Session following the 2019 Lok Sabha election victory, followed by the 35-day Budget Session of 2015. While eleven sessions have surpassed the 22-day average, another eleven have lasted less than 20 days.
Rijiju has previously emphasized the importance of the "One Nation, One Election" initiative, framing it as a crucial issue for the country's progress. He has criticized the Congress party's historical opposition to similar reforms, saying that after Congress misused Article 356, there were different elections between Parliament and some of the states. He questioned whether the Congress believed that Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru's government was illegal because there was one nation, one election at that time. He further questioned whether Congress means that the country should keep conducting elections every few months for 5 years.
The exchange highlights the ongoing tension between the ruling government and the opposition, with the length and agenda of parliamentary sessions becoming a recurring point of contention.
