The 18-day Monsoon session of the Parliament began on Monday with strict physical distancing measures, including staggered seating and plexiglass barriers, amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Before the session commenced, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to the media and expressed gratitude to the Members of the Parliament, and said, "There is corona(virus) and then there is duty. The MPs chose their duty."
Speaking about the India-China standoff in eastern Ladakh, the PM said, “We hope all member of the Parliament will send a message that the nation stands with our soldiers.”
The Parliament will function seven days a week, with four-hour sittings. Both the Houses of the Parliament will function at different times. While the Rajya Sabha will function from 9 am to 1 pm, the Lok Sabha will begin at 3 pm and end at 7 pm. Since it is the first day on the Monsoon session of the Parliament, the Lok Sabha meeting was scheduled in the morning.
The resolution for no Question Hour was passed on Monday morning. Many MPs opposed the move to accept only written questions and answers. Congress MPs Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury called it, “strangulating the democracy”.
“The government is not running away from discussions. There are many ways to question the government,” said Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said in Lok Sabha. Meanwhile, Rajnath Singh, the Union Defence Minister, said that the 30 minutes of the Zero Hour can be used to raise questions.
The business for the day includes Health Minister Harsh Vardhan’s statement regarding the COVID-19 situation in the country, the introduction of eight Bills in the Lok Sabha and four Bills in the Rajya Sabha.
The Lok Sabha MPs also paid tributes to former President Pranab Mukherjee, legendary classical vocalist Pandit Jasraj, former Governor of Madhya Pradesh Lalji Tandon and others who passed away this year.
The House was adjourned for an hour after various parties submitted adjournment motions over different reasons.
The 18-day long session started with Congress MPs Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury and K Suresh submitting adjournment motions in the Lok Sabha over Chinese incursion in Eastern Ladakh while DMK and CPI(M) moved for an adjournment over ‘the suicide of 12 teenage students due to NEET.’
Ahead of the Parliament session, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) MPs Kanimozhi and TR Balu staged a protest against NEET examination on the Parliament premises. They could be seen wearing a white face mask with ‘Ban NEET, Save TN students’ imprinted on it.
Delhi: Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) MPs TR Balu and Kanimozhi stage protest against NEET examination in the Parliament premises ahead of #MonsoonSession commencing today. pic.twitter.com/t9XuJ0i8FS
— ANI (@ANI) September 14, 2020
RSP MP N Premachandran also submitted adjournment motion over the issue of 'inclusion of names of prominent leaders in Delhi Police charge sheet on Delhi riots’.
Nationalist Congress Party’s Supriya Sule said the debate in the Parliament should have started with the state of India’s economy, pandemic and unemployment challenges.
Congress Interim President Sonia Gandhi and Wayanad MP Rahul Gandhi missed the opening session of the Parliament, as the duo are abroad for an annual health check-up. The Congress is set to oppose three ordinances concerning agriculture and grain markets passed by the Modi-led government.