Budget session of Parliament begins today, suspensions off

NEW DELHI: A day before Parliament convenes for its budget session, the suspension of 14 MPs, including 11 of the Rajya Sabha, were revoked following requests by the government. They had been suspended during the last winter session and their cases were referred to their respective privileges committees. The Rajya Sabha Privileges Committee held the suspended MPs guilty of breach of privilege and contempt of the Council of States. It, however, recommended that the period of suspension already suffered by the members be treated as sufficient punishment for the transgression. For their part, the lawmakers are learned to have expressed regret for their conduct during the last session. They were demanding a statement from the government on the Lok Sabha’s security breach and other serious issues. A total of 146 opposition MPs — 100 in the Lok Sabha and 46 in the Rajya Sabha — had been suspended for bringing placards into the chambers and frequently disrupting the proceedings. Of them, 132 were suspended for the rest of the winter session that ended on December 21. At what he described was a cordial all-party meeting, Union minister Pralhad Joshi said on Tuesday that the no-placard rule within the chambers was re-emphasized. The session will begin with President Droupadi Murmu’s address to a joint sitting of both Houses on Wednesday. On February 1, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present the interim budget. The session will conclude on February 9. Opposition leaders said they would raise issues of unemployment, high inflation, agrarian distress and Manipur. President’s address Pralhad Joshi said the main agenda of the session is the President’s address, interim budget and debate on the motion of thanks on the President’s address with a reply by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.