Lok Sabha adjourned sine die after stormy Monsoon Session, 'shuddhikaran' row hits Rajya Sabha

The Monsoon Session of Parliament ended on Wednesday, August 13, with the Lok Sabha being adjourned sine die after days of disruptions and political confrontation between the government and the Opposition.

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla made the announcement soon after members paid tribute to the national song, Vande Mataram. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was present in the House when the proceedings were brought to an end.

Lok Sabha session ends amid prolonged standoff

The final day began with Opposition MPs staging a protest at Makar Dwar ahead of the scheduled 11 am start of proceedings.

The Monsoon Session, which began on July 21, saw repeated disruptions in both Houses. The Opposition had been pressing for discussions on several issues, including alleged police brutality against protesters at Jantar Mantar and the Ayodhya Ram Mandir donation row.

Opposition MPs had also sought a statement from Home Minister Amit Shah over alleged police excesses during the July 20 protest at Jantar Mantar.

Despite the disruptions, Parliament passed several pieces of legislation during the session.

19 Bills cleared during session

On the final day, Parliament cleared the Bill seeking to rename Kerala as Keralam as well as the NCDC Amendment Bill.

Overall, at least 19 Bills were passed during the Monsoon Session. Seven of these Bills were cleared in just 36 minutes without discussion, according to the information provided.

The session's legislative business took place alongside repeated clashes between the government and Opposition over issues they sought to raise in Parliament.

'Shuddhikaran' row erupts in Rajya Sabha

While the Lok Sabha was adjourned sine die, proceedings in the Rajya Sabha were affected by a controversy over a 'shuddhikaran' or purification ceremony held at Ramlila Ground in Haldwani.

The ceremony took place after a rally addressed by Congress national president Mallikarjun Kharge on August 8.

Kharge accused the BJP of being behind the alleged purification exercise while raising the matter in the House. BJP president JP Nadda responded that the party did not endorse such acts and said an investigation would be carried out to establish who was responsible.

The row added another point of confrontation between the government and Opposition as Parliament's Monsoon Session drew to a close.