Govt To Hold Rare September Session of Parliament, Opposition Questions Overlap

This comes after a stormy Monsoon session that ended in August and was marred by disruptions.

Image used for representational purposes only.

(Photo: The Quint)

In an unexpected development, the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha will be in session for five days next month.

September surprise: The central government has called a special session of Parliament that will be held from 18 September to 22 September, according to Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi.

• “Special Session of Parliament (13th Session of 17th Lok Sabha and 261st Session of Rajya Sabha) is being called from 18th to 22nd September having five sittings. Amid Amrit Kaal looking forward to having fruitful discussions and debate in Parliament,” he tweeted on Thursday, 31 August.

• Joshi neither mentioned why the special session has been called nor revealed the agenda.

Lead-in: The special parliamentary session will take place days after the two-day G20 Summit that's being hosted by India in New Delhi on 9 and 10 September.

• It is one of the largest multilateral summits, which will see participation from over 40 world leaders and heads of international agencies.

The norm? India does not have a fixed parliamentary calendar, according to PRS Legislative Research.

"By convention, Parliament meets for three sessions in a year. The longest, the Budget Session, starts towards the end of January, and concludes by the end of April or first week of May. The session has a recess so that Parliamentary Committees can discuss the budgetary proposals," the research institute wrote on its website.

Calendar clash: Shortly after the announcement, several Opposition leaders pointed out that the special session has been penciled in during the week of Ganesh Chaturthi – an auspicious Hindu festival.

• "Whilst we all look forward towards meaningful discussions and dialogue, the dates coincide with the Ganpati Festival, a major festival in Maharashtra," said NCP (Sharad Pawar Camp) leader Supriya Sule, further urging the government to reconsider the dates.

• "[The special session] is an indicator of little panic. Just like when I raised the issue in Lok Sabha, they suspended my membership. Whenever one raises Adani matter, the PM becomes uncomfortable," Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was quoted as saying by The Indian Express.

Look back: The recently concluded Monsoon session of Parliament in July-August was marred by disruptions and protests by Opposition parties over the ethnic violence in Manipur.

• Even with multiple adjournments and walkouts, several controversial pieces of legislation such as the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, the Delhi Services Act, and The Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Act were passed in both Houses.

• In an attempt to force PM Modi to make a statement on Manipur in the Lok Sabha, the 'INDIA' coalition moved a no-confidence motion against the government.

• However, the motion was easily defeated as the Opposition walked out midway through PM Modi's address.

Of note: On the last day of the Monsoon session, Union Home Minister Amit Shah tabled three new bills meant to replace the core of India's criminal law such as the Indian Penal Code and the Code of Criminal Procedure.

• While the proposed bills are currently under review by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs, their passage into law could be something to watch out for in the upcoming special session.