As per a government notification, the Monsoon Session of Parliament, which is set to commence from 14 September, will not have Question Hour and private members’ bills, due to Covid-19. However, other proceedings and Zero Hour will remain as normal. This decision of the government has not gone down well with the Opposition as they are calling it a move to stifle democracy and take away the rights of MPs to question the government.
Senior Congress leader and Lok Sabha MP Shashi Tharoor hit out at the government and said, “I said four months ago that strongmen leaders would use the excuse of the pandemic to stifle democracy and dissent. The notification for the delayed parliament session blandly announces there will be no Question Hour. How can this be justified in the name of keeping us safe?” He also added, “Questioning the government is the oxygen of parliamentary democracy. This government seeks to reduce the parliament to a notice-board and uses its crushing majority as a rubber-stamp for whatever it wants to pass. The one mechanism to promote accountability has now been done away with.”
TMC MP Derek O’Brien also said that the pandemic was being used as an excuse to murder democracy. He tweeted, “MPs required to submit Qs for Question Hour in Parliament 15 days in advance. Session starts 14 Sept. So Q Hour cancelled? Oppn MPs lose right to Q govt. A first since 1950? Parliament overall working hours remain the same so why cancel Q Hour? Pandemic excuse to murder democracy.”
AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi also jumped into the ring, tweeting, “Even during the exceptional situation of 1962 India-China war, Question Hour was suspended only after All Party Meeting (APM). In this case PMO didn›t hold an APM. When Standing Committee meetings are being held & even JEE NEET, why not an APM to consult us before Parliament?”
In the Monsoon Session this year, the working of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha will be in separate shifts and there will be special seating for MPs. The Rajya Sabha will sit from 3 pm to 7 pm on the first day and from 9 am to 1 pm on the rest of the days. The Lok Sabha will sit from 9 am to 1 pm on the first day and from 3 pm to 7 pm till 1 October. Weekends will also be working days.