Suspended MPs, Blocked Questions: Modi Government evading Parliament Scrutiny?

3 months ago 45

35% of laws passed in the last Lok Sabha were discussed for less than an hour. -Important laws like the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the bill to change the selection committee of Election Commissioners were passed when more than 140 opposition MPs were suspended from the House. -Recently, the PMO directed that questions related to the PM CARES fund cannot be raised in Parliament. Transparency activists Anjali Bhardwaj and Amrita Johri are joined by Maansi Verma, founder of Maadhyam, to discuss how the government is evading accountability in Parliament and what that means for citizens. According to the 2025 V-Dem Democracy Report, India was ranked 100th out of 179 countries and categorized as an ‘electoral autocracy. In this episode of Jaanne Bhi Do Yaaro, we examine how the functioning of Parliament has diminished and what impact that has on people’s rights and their voice. The number of sittings of Parliament has steadily declined over the years. This means less time and opportunities for debate, questions, oversight and scrutiny of important laws. Parliament’s basic function is to make laws, but the process has been increasingly short-circuited: bringing important bills through ordinances, using the money bill route to bypass the Rajya Sabha, introducing bills through supplementary agendas with no prior notice to MPs, refusing pre-legislative consultation with the public, not referring crucial bills to parliamentary committees, and even passing bills within minutes. We discuss how these practices mean for the quality of law-making and democracy. On questions of public interest, the government has often shielded itself from accountability—either claiming “no data available” or disallowing questions and discussions in the name of national security or procedure. Recently, the PMO directed the Lok Sabha Secretariat that questions on the PM CARES fund are not permissible, raising concerns about transparency. We discuss what the rules actually say and whether these refusals legitimate or a way to evade scrutiny. In recent years, Parliament has seen a record number of opposition MPs being suspended. In December 2023, more than 140 MPs were suspended over demands for answers regarding the Parliament security breach, and nearly 250 questions raised by MPs were deleted. Is suspending opposition MPs a new tool for controlling Parliament and undermining democratic accountability? We also discuss the role and performance of the presiding officers—the Speaker of the Lok Sabha and the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha. Speeches of opposition MPs are being disallowed, remarks expunged, and their mics muted. How has this affected the prestige and role of these constitutional authorities? Have the Speaker of LS and Chairperson of RS been reduced to acting as spokespersons for the ruling regime? Join The Wire's Youtube Membership and get exclusive content, member-only emojis, live interaction with The Wire's founders, editors and reporters and much more. Memberships to The Wire Crew start at Rs 89/month. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChWtJey46brNr7qHQpN6KLQ/join

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