BJP claims credit for Lok Sabha work, blames Opposition for Rajya Sabha stalemate
New Delhi: As curtains fell on the Winter Session of Parliament, the BJP government on Tuesday took credit for the “record business” transacted in the Lok Sabha and blamed the stalemate in the Rajya Sabha on the “obstructionist attitude” of the Opposition that disallowed the passage of the insurance and coal legislations.
Parliamentary affairs minister M. Venkaiah Naidu accused the Opposition of letting the country down in the Rajya Sabha and holding the interests of the nation “captive by their short-sighted political considerations”.
On the last day of the month-long session on Tuesday, both the Houses of Parliament saw disruptions as the Opposition parties demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi make a statement on the issue of conversion. Both Houses were then adjourned sine die.
Addressing a customary post-session press conference, Mr Naidu said while the Lok Sabha passed a record 18 Bills as against 12 during the last Budget Session early this year and four bills during the Winter Session last year, the Rajya Sabha could clear only 12 bills during this period.
The productivity of the Lok Sabha has been 105.71 per cent while that of the Rajya Sabha has been only 67.18 per cent.
The Upper House could not take up six Bills that were passed by the Lower House and could have done so had the same spirit prevailed, Mr Naidu said and sought to know why should the two Houses of Parliament have different perspectives and priorities.
“Can the majority be used to bring the House to a grinding halt negating the established parliamentary democratic principle of collective responsibility of the government?” he asked and charged the Opposition with trying to stall the government’s development agenda.
“It was evident that while the majority in the Lok Sabha was used constructively, the same was used to obstruct legislation in the Rajya Sabha... the Opposition has let the country down in the Rajya Sabha during this Winter Session. The way they have disrupted the House for almost half of the session time has no justification,” Mr Naidu said.
