New Delhi, Feb 13 (UNI) The first phase of the Budget Session of Parliament concluded on a turbulent note on Friday, with the Lok Sabha being adjourned for the day amid vociferous protests by Opposition members. The House will now reconvene after a three-week recess on March 9.
Proceedings were disrupted within minutes of the House assembling in the morning, as Opposition MPs raised slogans and sought urgent discussions on the India–US interim trade agreement and the controversy surrounding the unpublished memoir of former Army Chief M M Naravane. Amid the uproar, the Chair adjourned the House within a few minutes of commencement.
“The House cannot function amid continuous disruptions. I urge members to maintain decorum,” the Chair said before adjourning proceedings for the day.
The first part of the Budget Session had been marked by repeated confrontations between the Treasury benches and the Opposition. Opposition leaders demanded a detailed statement from the government on the contours and implications of the India–US interim trade deal, alleging that Parliament was being kept in the dark.
They also sought clarification on reports relating to General Naravane’s yet-to-be-published memoir, claiming certain excerpts raised questions of national security and civil-military relations.
A senior Opposition MP said, “We are not against reforms or international partnerships, but Parliament must be taken into confidence. Transparency is not optional in a democracy.”
The government, however, dismissed the allegations, asserting that due process was being followed. A union Minister stated, “There is no cause for alarm. The trade discussions are in India’s best interests, and any publication concerning national security is subject to established protocols.”
With the adjournment, Members of Parliament will now turn their attention to departmental work during the recess. Parliamentary standing committees are scheduled to scrutinize the demands for grants and allocations made to various central ministries in the union Budget. Their reports will form the basis for detailed discussions when the House reconvenes.
The Budget Session of Parliament is traditionally divided into two parts, with the recess providing lawmakers an opportunity to examine expenditure proposals in depth.
When the Lok Sabha meets again on March 9, it is expected to take up discussion and voting on the Demands for Grants, followed by the passage of the Appropriation Bill and other key legislative business.
For now, the stormy scenes that characterized the opening weeks of the session underscore the deep political divides likely to shape parliamentary proceedings in the weeks ahead. UNI SKA AAB