The Winter Session of the Indian Parliament, noted as the shortest in history, ended with limited discussions and innovative protests by opposition parties. Key highlights included the swearing-in of new MPs and calls for more parliamentary sittings. Leader J P Nadda demonstrated good practice by allowing opposition interventions.
The Winter Session of Parliament, described as the shortest in Indian history, drew to a close amid various observations from the floor. At the pre-session all-party meeting, leaders from 36 political parties attended, with opposition groups outlining key issues for discussion. The government representatives, including five ministers, responded by saying, 'We will get back to you,' before concluding the meeting.
Newly elected MPs from the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference were sworn in at the Rajya Sabha, with Chief Minister Omar Abdullah observing from the visitors' gallery. The three MPs were notably well-dressed, two in suits.
During felicitations for the new Rajya Sabha Chairman, C P Radhakrishnan, members urged improvements: increasing House sittings from the original 45 days in the first Lok Sabha to the current 15-day sessions; admitting more discussion notices, down from 110 between 2009-2016 to 36 from 2017-2024; and enhancing bill scrutiny, which dropped from seven out of ten in the 15th Lok Sabha to two in the 17th.
A minor incident involved an opposition MP bringing a dog into Parliament premises, which some television channels exaggerated as a security breach. Opposition protests, particularly by the All India Trinamool Congress, occurred at unconventional sites, including a silent 10-minute sit-in at Central Hall protesting the Prime Minister's reference to Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay as 'Bankim-da.' Participants held posters of Chattopadhyay and Rabindranath Tagore.
No Calling Attention Motions were accepted in either House, limiting opposition accountability tools. Positively, Rajya Sabha Leader J P Nadda yielded twice during his speech to allow opposition interventions, exemplifying parliamentary convention.
Former cricketers Kirti Azad and Yusuf Pathan maintained good attendance as Lok Sabha MPs, unlike Harbhajan Singh in the Rajya Sabha. Late-night discussions included the President's Rule in Manipur and the MGNREGA Bill. A group of students from Tamil Nadu and Jharkhand visited, finding Central Hall particularly moving.
