The Budget Session of Parliament is the 16th Lok Sabha’s last, and the Modi govt has just 3 days to try and pass important bills stuck in the Rajya Sabha.
New Delhi: With the Narendra Modi government coming to the end of its term, the Budget Session of Parliament that begins Thursday is its last chance to push through some key pending bills — a few of which could form an essential part of its political narrative ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.
The government is facing a severe time constraint, since the session is to last from 31 January to 13 February. It will have just three days for legislative business, since the remaining days have to be reserved for the presentation and discussion of the interim budget as well as the President’s address.
Adding to the government’s discomfort is its precarious position in the Rajya Sabha, where it does not have a majority and where some of its crucial and contentious bills are stuck.
Of course, the most keenly-watched aspect of the session will be the interim Budget — meant to be applicable only till the next government takes over and passes a full Budget. With polls due in a few months, there are indications that the Modi government will announce significant sops and people-friendly measures.
The contentious bills
Among the most contentious bills pending is the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016, that looks to provide citizenship to non-Muslim refugees from Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Pakistan. The bill, passed by the Lok Sabha on 8 January during the winter session, is a political hot potato, with the BJP’s own allies and even its state units in the Northeast opposed to it.
In fact, since the process to update the National Register of Citizens (NRC) is on in Assam — with an aim to identify illegal Bangladeshi immigrants — this bill has become an even more burning issue.
For BJP, the bill is an important part of its Hindu majoritarian politics, and a way for it to bolster the narrative of the government addressing the demands of its core votebase. However, while its majority in the Lok Sabha allowed for a smooth passage of the bill, its shortage of numbers in the Rajya Sabha makes this an onerous task, especially given that its own allies like the Janata Dal (United) have clearly stated they will not support it.
The other politically and socially-delicate bill that remains pending is the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, popularly known as the Triple Talaq Bill, which makes instant talaq void, illegal and punishable.
The bill, passed by the Lok Sabha, has been vehemently opposed by the opposition, which has stuck to its demand of referring it to a select committee. A united opposition has argued that the bill, among other things, interferes with religion on the pretext of empowering Muslim women.
Critics and the opposition believe that through this bill, the BJP government wants to impose its decision on the minority community, especially by criminalising instant talaq, otherwise a civil matter.
The BJP, however, has keenly pushed for this bill, with even PM Modi on several occasions claiming his government was committed to protecting the rights of Muslim women.
Also read: How BJP is trying to sweeten bitter pill of Citizenship Bill with Autonomous Councils in NE
Other pending bills
Another important pending bill is the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill, 2016, passed by the Lok Sabha in April 2017. The bill seeks to amend the earlier Act to bring in changes to things like third-party insurance, regulation of taxi aggregators, road safety, driving licences and traffic violations. It has been opposed by various parties who allege it curtails the powers of state governments.
The Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains (Amendment) Bill, 2017, was passed by the Lok Sabha on 2 January 2018, but remains stuck in the Rajya Sabha.
The Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill, 2016, was passed in the Lok Sabha on 17 December. However, opposition parties like the Congress and Trinamool Congress claim the bill in its current form hurts the transgender community.
The Whistle Blowers Protection (Amendment) Bill, 2015, Surrogacy (Regulation) Bill, 2016, and the Factories (Amendment) Bill, 2016, are also long-pending.
All of the bills mentioned above were brought in by the BJP government, passed by the Lok Sabha, but are stuck at the Rajya Sabha hurdle.
The 16th Lok Sabha
The Budget Session will draw the curtains on the 16th Lok Sabha, which has been more productive than its predecessor, and also compared to the Upper House.
As reported by ThePrint, the Lok Sabha has registered a productivity of 84 per cent, compared to 65 per cent for the Rajya Sabha, according to data available with PRS Legislative Research (figures till 4 January).
In contrast, the 15th Lok Sabha under Manmohan Singh’s UPA-2 government had a productivity percentage of 63, while the Rajya Sabha had registered 68 per cent productivity.
Also read: Modi govt’s number problem — triple talaq latest in series of bills stalled in Rajya Sabha