Lok Sabha Session Concludes Amid Controversy: What Happened?

Lok Sabha Adjourned Sine Die After Budget Session

New Delhi: The Lok Sabha was adjourned sine die on Friday, marking the end of the Budget session that commenced on January 31.

Upon reconvening at noon after a brief adjournment due to comments made by Congress leader Sonia Gandhi, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla delivered his farewell remarks before adjourning the House indefinitely until the next session.

The session concluded with tensions as members from the treasury benches demanded an apology from Sonia Gandhi for her statement claiming that the Waqf bill was passed without adequate discussion, leading to a nearly hour-long adjournment.

In response to Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju's request, Birla expressed that a senior Congress member's disparaging remarks about the House proceedings were 'most unfortunate' and undermined the dignity of parliamentary democracy.

While not naming Gandhi, who serves in the Rajya Sabha, Birla took a firm stance regarding her comments.

During this session, 16 bills were successfully passed, with the House achieving a productivity rate exceeding 118%.

As Birla spoke, opposition members protested against his remarks regarding Gandhi's claims about the Waqf amendment bill being rushed through without discussion.

The government completed its budgetary process, with the Lok Sabha approving the financial demands for various ministries along with the Finance Bill.

The budget for Manipur, which is currently under central governance, was also approved.

The Waqf amendment bill, which sparked significant contention between the government and opposition, was passed after both Houses extended their sitting hours to finalize the legislation.

In his closing comments, Birla noted that the session achieved over 118% productivity across 26 sittings.

A total of 173 members engaged in discussions regarding the President's address, while 169 members participated in budget discussions.

Throughout the session, 10 bills were introduced, and 16 bills were passed, including the Waqf Amendment Bill.

On April 3, a record 202 members raised issues of public significance during Zero Hour, marking the highest number of matters raised in a single day in Lok Sabha history.