November 05, 2024 17:10 (IST)
Follow us:
facebook-white sharing button
twitter-white sharing button
instagram-white sharing button
youtube-white sharing button
Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy booked for threatening cop probing into mining case | Supreme Court upholds validity of Uttar Pradesh Madrasa Education Act | Not all private properties are community resources that govt can take over: Supreme Court | Pakistan's Lahore has become world's most polluted city with an AQI of 1900 on Sunday | Indian Army 'successfully completes' patrolling to a key point in Ladakh's Depsang region
Opposition attacks BJP government over its 'No Question Hour' move in Parliament
Parliament
Image Credit: PIB File

Opposition attacks BJP government over its 'No Question Hour' move in Parliament

| @indiablooms | 02 Sep 2020, 12:46 pm

New Delhi/IBNS: Several opposition parties have slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government at the Centre after the ruling dispensation decided to cancel the "Question Hour" in the upcoming monsoon session of Parliament amid Covid-19.

The Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha, the upper and lower houses of Parliament, will sit for the monsoon session in separate shifts in the Covid-19 situation while the MPs will have separate sitting arrangements for maintaining social distancing.

Congress Lok Sabha MP from Kerala's Thiruvananthapuram, Shashi Tharoor, has accused the government of using the pandemic to crush the dissent.

Tharoor tweeted, "I said four months ago that strongmen leaders would use the excuse of the pandemic to stifle democracy & 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?"

Derek O'Brien, the Rajya Sabha MP of one of the largest opposition parties Trinamool Congress (TMC), 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 same so why cancel Q Hour?Pandemic excuse to murder democracy." (sic)

"During the 33rd (1961), 93rd (1975), 98th (1976) 99th (1977) Sessions there was no Question Hour as these sessions were summoned for SPECIAL PURPOSES: Orissa, Proclamation of Emergency, 44th Amdmt, President’s Rule TN/Nagaland. The upcoming Monsoon Session is a REGULAR SESSION," he added in a separate tweet. (sic)

Reportedly, India's Defence Minister Rajnath Singh told opposition leaders that if there was a Question Hour, then the ministers would have to be briefed by their officials which would eventually increase the footfalls in Parliament amid the threat from the contagion.

The monsoon session of Parliament will begin on Sept 14.

The Lok Sabha will sit from 9 am to 1 pm on the first day and from 3 pm to 7 pm on the rest of the days.

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. 

Support Our Journalism

We cannot do without you.. your contribution supports unbiased journalism

IBNS is not driven by any ism- not wokeism, not racism, not skewed secularism, not hyper right-wing or left liberal ideals, nor by any hardline religious beliefs or hyper nationalism. We want to serve you good old objective news, as they are. We do not judge or preach. We let people decide for themselves. We only try to present factual and well-sourced news.

Support objective journalism for a small contribution.