Congress MP Jairam Ramesh questions delay in formal closure of Monsoon Session

NEW DELHI: The Congress on Sunday questioned the “abnormal” delay in proroguing the Monsoon Session of Parliament, noting that the time gap between adjournment and prorogation is generally two to four days, but the Monsoon Session is yet to be prorogued after being adjourned on August 13.Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh questioned whether the delay was because Union Home Minister Amit Shah was still looking for a two-thirds majority to get the delimitation-linked Constitutional amendment bill passed in a special session.The government, for its part, has denied any plans to convene a special session.“The time gap between the adjournment of the Lok Sabha sine die and its prorogation is generally two to four days – although there are many instances when adjournment and prorogation have taken place on the very same day. Ten days have gone by since this Lok Sabha was adjourned sine die but still there is no information on its prorogation,” Ramesh posted on X.He acknowledged that the Monsoon Session in 2015 was prorogued 28 days after adjournment and the gap in 2021 was 20 days. However, there were no “diabolical moves afoot then,” the Congress Rajya Sabha MP added.Ramesh linked the delay to the possibility of the Centre calling a special session to pass a major legislation, possibly the Delimitation Bill.“What explains the abnormal delay now? Is the Union Home Minister still in search of his बहुकलंकित 2/3rd majority to get the Constitutional Amendment Bill on Delimitation passed in a Special Session?” he asked.The Monsoon Session of Parliament began on July 20 and was adjourned sine die on August 13, its scheduled last day. It was largely washed out amid an impasse between the government and the Opposition over issues including the alleged Delhi Police brutality against students during their march to Parliament on the first day of the session and the alleged theft of donations at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya.

Monsoon Session awaits formal closure

Ramesh’s post comes as the prorogation notification for the Monsoon Session had not been issued as of Sunday morning, meaning it is yet to formally end.According to constitutional provisions, the President convenes and prorogues Parliament sessions on the recommendation of the government.

Speculation over the Centre’s next move on the delimitation-linked Women’s Reservation Bill has continued after Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay raised the issue at the August 21 Southern Zonal Council meeting in Mahabalipuram, chaired by Shah.“I urge the Union government to provide a clear legislative assurance that no state will suffer a reduction in its percentage of representation in Parliament on account of its success in population stabilisation,” Vijay said.His remarks indicated a shift from the categorical opposition to delimitation expressed through the resolution he moved in the Tamil Nadu Assembly on August 12.However, Karnataka chief minister DK Shivakumar, who also attended the Mahabalipuram meeting, demanded that the central government retain the existing number of Lok Sabha seats — 543 — for the next 25 years.