New Delhi, Dec 13 : The winter session of Parliament today ended without transacting any substantial business, going down in Parliamentary history as the only session virtually washed out due to standoff between the government and Opposition over 2G spectrum scam.
Parliament could function barely for a few hours during the 23 sittings which began on November 9, as the united Opposition forced adjournments almost everyday, within minutes of assembling.
Opposition members trooping into the well and shouting slogans demanding JPC probe into the 2G spectrum allocation became a daily routine in both Houses.
Normalcy was seen in the Lok Sabha only on the first day of the session when the Rajya Sabha was adjourned because of death of a sitting member.
Terming as "very unfortunate" the wash out of the entire Winter Session of Parliament, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee today said the MPs who create procedures to run the House have themselves violated their own rules resulting in the situation.
"...All the rules under which Parliament functions are the creation of the members....MPs are to protect the Constitutional propriety, norms and rules...If creators themselves violate their own rules, then where is the remedy.
This is very unfortunate," Mukherjee told reporters outside Parliament House.He lamented that during the Winter Session, which ended today, no business could be transacted.
The Winter Session of Parliament today ended without transacting any substantial business, going down in Parliamentary history as the only session virtually washed out due to standoff between the government and Opposition over 2G spectrum scam.
Anguished over the washout of the Winter Session of Parliament, Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar today hoped that the logjam would not spill over to the Budget Session for which she asked the government and the opposition to find a "middle path".
"I am anguished. I would like such a thing not to take place in the future and hope the next session runs smoothly,"
Kumar told reporters after the Winter Session was adjourned sine die after failing to transact any substantial business during the 23 sittings.
"A middle path is essential. The essence of democracy is that the ruling party and the opposition work to find a middle path. This is democracy," she said.
