The Narendra Modi government's proposal to do away with 'Question Hour' in the upcoming Parliament session has triggered anger among opposition leaders. Question Hour is the first hour in Parliament that allows MPs to ask questions to the government.
The proposal had cited the continuing COVID-19 pandemic as the reason.
Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha MP Derek O'Brien lashed out at the plan to do away with Question Hour, noting this was the first time since 1950 that opposition MPs would lose the right to question the government.
O'Brien tweeted, "MPs required to submit Qs for Question Hour in #Parliament 15 days in advance. Session starts 14 Sept. So Q Hour cancelled ? Oppn MPs lose right to Q govt. A first since 1950 ? Parliament overall working hours remain same so why cancel Q Hour? Pandemic excuse to murder democracy."
O'Brien cited other instances when there was no Question Hour in Parliament, emphasising that those were all special sessions. " During the 33rd (1961), 93rd (1975), 98th (1976) 99th (1977) Sessions there was no Question Hour as these sessions were summoned for SPECIAL PURPOSES: Orissa, Proclamation of Emergency, 44th Amdmt, President’s Rule TN/Nagaland. The upcoming Monsoon Session is a REGULAR SESSION," O'Brien tweeted.
Congress Rajya Sabha MP Mallikarjun Kharge tweeted the plan showed the government's "autocratic mindset”. Kharge tweeted, "If this is true, it is not just a violation of a member’s right, but it also means that Govt is uncomfortable answering questions on their Governance. Govt is answerable to people & any move to cancel Question Hour reflects the autocratic mindset of Govt."
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor argued "questioning the government is the oxygen of parliamentary democracy".
Tharoor tweeted, "Questioning the government is the oxygen of parliamentary democracy. This Govt seeks to reduce Parliament to a notice-board & uses its crushing majority as a rubber-stamp for whatever it wants to pass. The one mechanism to promote accountability has now been done away with.”
Defence Minister Rajnath had discussed the issue with opposition leaders, NDTV reported.
"Opposition leaders say they were told by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh that if there was a Question Hour, ministers would need to be briefed by officials of their ministries and this would raise the number of visitors to parliament in Covid times," NDTV reported.
