October 17, 2026

Question Hour: A Just Solution

By Sunil Garodia
First publised on 2020-09-03 13:14:24

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Editor-in-Chief of indiacommentary.com. Current Affairs analyst and political commentator. Author of Cyber Scams in India, Digital Arrest, The Money Trap and The Human Hack

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The government acted with alacrity when the Opposition and political commentators objected to its decision to do away with the "Question Hour" during the ensuing monsoon session of parliament. It has now said that written questions will be allowed and the ministers concerned will also reply in writing. This is a good solution as it will save time - both houses of parliament will be in session for only four hours daily (Rajya Sabha in the morning and Lok Sabha after the lunch recess, to prevent crowding and ensure that health protocols are strictly followed). It will also allow the people's representatives to raise their concerns, seek answers and hold the government accountable.

When the matter was first raised by Derek O'Brien of the Trinamool Congress and then by the Congress and other opposition parties, the government issued a rejoinder which said that it had reached out to all parties and taken their consent before announcing the decision. It said that except for O'Brien, all others had agreed that in the truncated session, Question Hour could be dispensed with. The government particularly mentioned that Ghulam Nabi Azad of the Congress and Sudip Bandopadhyay of the Trinamool Congress (the party's leader in the Lok Sabha) had agreed to the proposal. There has been no denial of this from any of the opposition parties.

But whatever the situation, it was wrong on the part of the government to even talk about not having the Question Hour and it was equally wrong on part of the opposition to agree to the proposal. Asking questions and getting answers in parliament in the democratic right of people's representatives and one of the best ways they can hold the government accountable for its acts of omission or commission. But what was unpardonable was the way in which the opposition tried to embarrass the government after agreeing to the proposal. It only went on to show that one hand of the opposition parties does not know what the other is doing and that they have not got their act together even after receiving several drubbings at the hands of the NDA. The leaders who agreed to the government proposal should have consulted with their respective party high commands before doing so to avoid unnecessary controversy.