This year, the Winter Session began on December 4 and concluded on December 21 sitting for a total of just 18 days. While the Session saw many bills get hurried assent of Parliament—without due process, discussion or dialogue. The absence this Session, again, of any proper and meaningful discussion on crucial legislation is a repeat pattern set by the Modi 1 and Modi 2 regime, since 2014.
The second half of the Parliament Winter Session was particularly notable as the Lok Sabha witnessed a security breach, post which 146 MPs were suspended from both the houses of Parliament, accounting for 19% of the strength of each House. This is the highest number of suspensions in the history of Parliament so far.
Strikingly, the suspended MPs all belonged to Opposition parties, which consequently led to the passage of crucial bills in both Houses, such as the Telecom Bill and the Criminal Law Bills, with minimal debate and little to no inputs from the opposition. All 10 bills presented during this session were “successfully passed.” Furthermore, seven bills that were pending from previous sessions also received approval. Even though Lok Sabha functioned for 74% of its scheduled time, and Rajya Sabha for 81%, the expedited passage of significant legislations and the increased productivity was marred and marked by absence due to suspension of several Members of Parliament, leading to swift approvals with limited deliberations and minimal input from the opposition. The reflection on the recently concluded session is imperative due to the passage of 17 bills with minimal amendments, especially given the circumstances behind the arbitrary multiple suspensions by the Speaker and Chair of both houses, posts that are required, constitutionally to be non-partisan.
Apart from the fact that elected representatives of 240 million Indians were thus shamelessly silenced, the union government under a majoritarian Modi went further. Over a span of three days during the Winter Session, an alarming number of questions posed by suspended Opposition MPs were deleted from both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha records, revealing a worrying trend that stifles the essence of democracy.
Between December 19 and 21, a total of 264 questions were wiped off the parliamentary slate. These questions, addressing crucial issues from income tax probes and personal data protection, ought to have remained in Parliament’s archives as elected representatives’ means to scrutinise and seek accountability from the government. What followed the suspension of 146 MPs demanding accountability over a security breach in Parliament that took place on December 13, was the erasure of their inquiries, effectively muting their voices within the legislative framework.
According to the Parliamentary observer Maadhyam, a majority of the unanswered questions were those asked by MPs (elected officials) who had been temporarily suspended. The publication pointed out that once a question has been admitted for answering, the presence of the MP asking the question in the House is not required for that question to be answered. This is true for both questions that require oral and written answers. And yet questions were left unanswered, which in turn must adversely affect people’s ability to learn about government functioning.
Some of the important questions that were deleted and unanswered included inquiries on topics such as – :
- Income Tax notice to Fintech companies
- Personal data of Aadhar registered users
- Medical data breach
- Tracking devices on prison inmates
- Harms of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI):
- Digital Personal Data Protection Bill
The impact of deleting these questions extends beyond the chambers of Parliament. It symbolises a serious dent in the democratic process, nullifying the role of elected representatives as advocates for the concerns and interests of the public. Questions regarding income tax probes into major tech companies, the breach of personal data of Aadhar users, and the compromising of medical data underscored critical issues affecting millions, yet they remained unanswered, depriving citizens of vital information about their governance.
These deletions not only obstructed the avenue for the opposition to hold the government accountable but also obstructed citizens’ right to information. MPs represent the diverse concerns and voices of their constituencies; by silencing their inquiries, the government inadvertently silenced the very electorate they were elected to represent.
The Hindustan Times, the newspaper that first broke the story, recorded the reaction of the ministers to their suspension:-
- Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MP Manoj Kumar Jha, who was suspended from the Rajya Sabha on Monday for the remainder of the session, said: “Don’t confine our concerns to galleries, lobbies, or chambers. Instead, ensure that the essence of those concerns, shaped through a question, doesn’t fade away. If that essence diminishes, it signifies a critical concern for all of us.”
- Jha said through a series of questions, he sought to know from the education ministry about the “large-scale displacement” of teachers in Delhi University. “With just one stroke, you have effectively terminated all their careers. This question holds immense significance, particularly concerning higher education and the idea of representation within it. However, it seems to have become the government’s prerogative or perhaps a desire on their part to suspend MPs solely to avoid critical questions about the government’s functioning,” he said.
- Lok Sabha MP Danish Ali, who was recently expelled from the BSP for “anti-party activities” and suspended from the Lower House on Tuesday, said: “It’s really unfortunate because I was suspended for nothing. I did not go to the Well of the House, I did not hold a placard and they suspended me. So where should I go? These questions are not being asked on the day when we were suspended. These were fielded earlier. We had to give them in writing about two weeks earlier… This government does not think they are accountable to Parliament.”
Moreover, the deleted questions spanned a spectrum of vital sectors, from tech policy to healthcare and law enforcement, highlighting the multifaceted impact of this suppression on the flow of crucial information across sectors that directly affect citizens’ lives.
The absence of these questions not only signifies the diminishing role of Parliament as a platform for robust debate but also portrays a concerning precedent where the opposition’s ability to question the government is curtailed, ultimately limiting the accountability of those in power. It created an environment where scrutiny took a backseat, and the democratic process suffered.
The deletion of questions during this session echoes louder than just the erasure of words; it echoes the suppression of democracy’s foundational principles—transparency, accountability, and representation. The ripple effect extends far beyond the parliamentary halls, impacting citizens’ access to essential information and stifling the democratic process itself.
As the nation reflects on this unprecedented deletion of questions, it’s imperative to underscore the critical role of elected representatives and their questions in upholding the essence of democracy—a voice for the people, by the people.
(The writer is a legal intern)
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