Lok Sabha adjourns Sine Die-OxBig News Network

Lok Sabha proceedings were adjourned sine die on Friday, marking the end of the Budget session.

This came amid high-pitched protests by the treasury benches over remarks by Congress leader Sonia Gandhi against the government. The opposition retaliated by shouting slogans against the government on the US tariff imposition issue.

As soon as the House met for the day, members from the treasury benches started raising slogans such as “Sonia Gandhi maafi maango” (Sonia Gandhi apologise) over her remarks against the government.

The opposition benches also raised slogans, demanding answers from the government over US tariff imposition.

Speaker Om Birla then adjourned the House within minutes until 12 noon.

After the House reconvened at 12 pm, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju informed that Rajya Sabha, by discussing the Waqf Amendment Bill for 17 hours and two minutes, broke the previous record of a 16-hour-long discussion on the ESMA Act, which had taken place in Parliament in 1981.

Rijiju also brought to the notice of Birla complaints which he had received from “several members of both houses” regarding remarks made by a member of Rajya Sabha (referring to Congress leader Sonia Gandhi) that the bill had been “bulldozed” through Lok Sabha.

Rijiju urged the Speaker to give a direction on the matter.

At this point, Birla said that it was highly regrettable that a member of the other house, who has also been a member of Lok Sabha, made such a remark despite the bill having been discussed in Lok Sabha for almost 24 hours.

“Such a comment is highly regrettable. Aspersions cast on the procedures of Parliament are uncalled for,” Birla said.

Sonia Gandhi, while addressing a meeting of Congress members in the Central Hall of the old Parliament building on April 3, had said that the Waqf Amendment Bill had been bulldozed in Lok Sabha.

Amid protests from opposition members, Birla then adjourned the House sine die, after informing the members that the productivity of the Budget session had been 118 per cent in Lok Sabha.

Hours after the Lok Sabha passed the Waqf Amendment Bill, Gandhi said the Bill was “bulldozed” through in the lower house.