Speaker irked by disruptions as Monsoon session concludes
NEW DELHI: The Monsoon session of Parliament, the fifth one of the 18th Lok Sabha which saw unprecedented protests over the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in poll-bound Bihar, came to a close on Thursday with the presiding officers of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha expressing anguish over the continuous and planned disruptions leading to the total washout. As both Houses were adjourned sine die on Thursday in what was one of the frostiest Monsoon sessions, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla in his concluding address said that the public has great expectations from the representatives, and therefore, they should utilise their time in the House for serious and meaningful discussions on issues of public interest and important legislations. While the productivity of the Lok Sabha was pegged at 31%, the Rajya Sabha saw 39%. Out of total 120 hours, the Lok Sabha held discussions only for 37 hours. In the Rajya Sabha, discussions took place for 41 Hours 15 minutes only. The session was marked by continuous disruptions on SIR, the abrupt resignation of Jagdeep Dhanakhar from Vice-President post, an ugly scuffle between the NDA and INDIA members and the impeachment proceedings of High Court judge Justice Yashwant Varma among others. The highlight of the session, a two-day special debate on the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor saw high-voltage debates. Except for the 16-hour debate, the House failed to transact any business in the month-long session, which began July 21. Most part of the session was dominated by the protests held by Opposition parties inside and outside Parliament on alleged vote theft and alleged poll rigging by the Election Commission. While the Opposition stuck to their demand for a debate on SIR, the government refuted their demand citing that the exercise is part of the the poll panels administrative action and functioning. The protests also led to high drama in the streets after several top Opposition leaders, including LoP Rahul Gandhi, were detained by the Delhi Police after they took out a march to the EC headquarters in the capital. Another key takeaway is how SIR brought together the Opposition parties in the session to fight against the government unitedly. From the Congress, TMC, AAP and the CPM, more than 25 parties came together to corner the Modi government on SIR and other issues in the session. The session also saw unprecedented events such as the sudden resignation of Dhankhar, citing health reasons. Though there is no official word on the reason behind the resignation, sources say that it is linked to Dhankars acceptance of a notice sponsored by the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha to impeach Justice Varma, who is embroiled in alleged corruption charges. Another takeaway is a three-member committee set up by Birla to probe charges against Justice Varma. Thus, the Speaker has set the ball rolling for the impeachment of the Allahabad High Court judge after admitting a multi-party notice for his removal. The session has also set the stage for a high-stakes election for the vice-presidential elections, in which the NDA and the Opposition fielded candidates from the South. While the NDA picked Maharashtra Governor C P Radhakrishnan as its nominee, the Opposition has fielded former SC judge B Sudershan Reddy who hails from Andhra Pradesh. Bills passed by both Houses of Parliament The Bills of Lading Bill, 2025 The Carriage of Goods by Sea Bill, 2025 The Coastal Shipping Bill, 2025 The Manipur Goods and Services Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2025 The Manipur Appropriation (No.2) Bill, 2025 The Merchant Shipping Bill, 2025 The Readjustment of Representation of Scheduled Tribes in Assembly Constituencies of the State of Goa Bill, 2025 The National Sports Governance Bill, 2025 The National Anti-Doping (Amendment) Bill, 2025 The Income-Tax Bill, 2025 The Taxation Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2025 The Indian Ports Bill, 2025 The Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2025 The Indian Institutes of Management (Amendment) Bill, 2025 The Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025