Parliament's Monsoon session likely to end on September 23

The monsoon session of Parliament is likely to conclude on Wednesday amid a stand-off between the government and the opposition on farm sector reforms and under the shadow of the Covid-19 outbreak.

The monsoon session began on September 14 and was originally scheduled to conclude on October 1. However, with several MPs and union ministers testing positive for Covid-19, there was pressure on the government to curtail the session.

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The decision to adjourn the monsoon session was taken at a meeting Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla had with floor leaders on Tuesday evening.

The government had replaced 11 ordinances with bills, got Parliament nod for supplementary demands for grants and passed three labour codes that seek to replace 25 labour laws.

The curtailment of the session also comes amid a stand-off with the opposition and suspension of eight Rajya Sabha members for unruly conduct in the House during the discussion on farm sector reforms bills.

Opposition parties boycotted the proceedings of both Houses of Parliament on Tuesday demanding revocation of suspension of the eight members.

Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar added fuel to the fire by claiming that farmers protesting against the farm sector reforms were Congress activists and not real farmers.

“Most of those protesting in Punjab and Haryana are not farmers, but Congress workers,” Tomar said in the Lok Sabha adding that the bills passed by Parliament would benefit farmers and free them from the clutches of middlemen.