Parliament adjourns, winter end in 2G Scam Fog

The winter session of Parliament on Monday ended without transacting any substantial business, going down in Parliamentary history as the only session virtually washed out due to standoff between the government and Opposition over 2G spectrum scam. Parliament could function barely for a few hours during the 23 sittings which began on 9th November, as the united Opposition forced adjournments almost everyday, within minutes of assembling. Opposition members trooping into the well and shouting slogans demanding JPC probe into the 2G spectrum allocation became a daily routine in both Houses. Normalcy was seen in the Lok Sabha only on the first day of the session when the Rajya Sabha was adjourned because of death of a sitting member Despite a number of meetings between the government and Opposition, the impasse continued as the BJP-led NDA, the Left parties, AIADMK, SP, TDP and BJD persisted with their demand for a JPC into the 2G spectrum scam.
The Opposition got a shot in the arm after the CAG report, tabled in Parliament on 16th November, said the spectrum allocation in 2008 had caused a presumptive loss of Rs 1.76 lakh crore to the exchequer. The Opposition was not satisfied even though Telecom Minister A Raja quit. The government, on the other hand, continuously rejected the demand for JPC maintaining that the Public Accounts Committee was adequately equipped to probe the irregularities. This session earned the dubious distinction of being virtually washed out, although Parliament had witnessed logjam for 17 days over Tehelka scam in 2001 and disruptions for 45 days over Bofors scandal in 1987. Before adjourning the Upper House sine die, Rajya Sabha Chairman Hamid Ansari conveyed his displeasure stating the 221st session displayed "distinct" features and asked members to introspect. "No debates or discussions on matters of public interest took place; no special mentions were made or laid on the table; no zero hour interventions were sought; no questions were answered orally and no supplementary questions were raised," he said.