Rajya Sabha adjourns sine die, Budget session concludes

New Delhi: The Rajya Sabha was adjourned sine die on Thursday, ending the four-week-long disruption-ridden second leg of the Budget Session where treasury and opposition members locked horns over Rahul Gandhi's "democracy under attack" remark and the Adani issue.

When the Rajya Sabha reassembled at 2 pm after an adjournment in the morning, Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar said the suspension of Congress MP Rajani Ashokrao Patil for filming proceedings of the House has been extended beyond the Budget session after taking inputs from the privileges committee which is investigating the matter.

He said the committee in its meeting held on March 27 sought an extension of time till the first week of the Monsoon session to complete the investigation.

"Taking note of the inputs from the privileges committee, I find it expedient invoking rule 266 read with 256 that (the) February 10, 2023, suspension order of Smt Rajani Ashokrao Patil may continue to be in force beyond the current session and till the House has the benefit of the recommendations by the privileges committee," he said, drawing sharp protests from the Opposition members.

Before that, the DMK's Tiruchi Siva and the Congress' Shaktisinh Gohil sought clarity over the implications of Dhankhar's Wednesday decision to reject Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge's objection to Rajya Sabha discussing a statement of Gandhi.

The chairman, however, was firm on his decision.

Amid protest by opposition members over the suspension issue, Dhankhar read out his valedictory remarks, stating that the 259th session of Rajya Sabha was closing "albeit on a note of concern".

He said it was worrisome and alarming that the "paramountcy of debate, dialogue, deliberation and discussion in Parliament has yielded to disruption and disturbance".

The productivity of the first part of the Budget Session was 56.3 per cent. For the second part it plummeted to an abysmal 6.4 per cent, Dhankhar said.

"Cumulatively, the House productivity was only 24.4 per cent," he said adding, "Disruptions claimed 103 hours and 30 minutes of its time." The second leg of the Budget session was marred by disruptions as the treasury bench demanded an apology from Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for his "democracy under attack" remark made in London while the Opposition parties persisted with their demand for a Joint Parliamentary Committee probe into the Adani issue.

"Weaponising politics by stalling the functioning of Parliament is pregnant with serious consequences for our polity. This is to the utter dislike of the people at large.

"In the public mind, we as a class are subject of disdain and ridicule. We need to reflect our track record on the anvil of expectations of the people," Dhankhar said even as the Opposition members continued with their sloganeering.

Amid the din, Dhankhar greeted the members on forthcoming festivals of Easter, Buddha Purnima, Eid and others and adjourned the House sine die.

In the forenoon, the House was adjourned following uproarious scenes with the opposition demanding a Joint Parliamentary Committee probe into the Adani issue, while BJP members demanded Rahul Gandhi's apology for his democracy remarks made abroad and said they would not allow "Bharat mata" to be insulted.