"New Record Set": Jairam Ramesh Slams Centre as Parliament Remains Un-prorogued for 88 Days
Congress MP Jairam Ramesh claims the Centre set a new record by not proroguing Parliament for 88 days to manipulate the Delimitation Bill.
Congress MP Jairam Ramesh has launched a scathing attack on the Central government, alleging that a new record has been set by keeping Parliament adjourned sine die without being prorogued for 88 days. The senior Congress leader claimed that this unusual delay is a calculated move to "manipulate" a two-thirds majority in the Lok Sabha to push through the controversial Delimitation Bills.
The Battle of Records: 87 vs 88 Days
The controversy erupted following a letter from Union Parliamentary Minister Kiren Rijiju to Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge. In the correspondence, the Minister pointed out that during the Monsoon Session of 2008, Parliament had remained un-prorogued for a record 87 days.
Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Ramesh noted that the government has now surpassed that mark. "Today is 88 days since Parliament was adjourned sine die and has still NOT been prorogued," Ramesh stated, highlighting that the government has effectively broken its own cited record.
Citing Parliamentary Precedents
To back his claims, Ramesh referred to the 8th edition of Practice and Procedure of Parliament (commonly known as Kaul and Shakdher), published in mid-2024 and featuring a message from the Prime Minister. He pointed out that page 192 of the text suggests the gap between adjournment sine die and prorogation is typically two to four days.
He further noted that a footnote on the same page mentions the maximum gap historically was 28 days, occurring during the 2015 Monsoon Session. Ramesh expressed confusion over why the 87-day instance from 2008—mentioned by Minister Rijiju—is not recorded in the authoritative Kaul and Shakdher text, adding that the 2008 delay happened by consensus of all parties due to specific circumstances of that time.
The Delimitation Bill Conflict
The core of the Congress party's grievance lies in the proposed delimitation exercise. Ramesh alleged that the current record-breaking delay is designed to give the Union Home Minister time to secure a "super-tainted" two-thirds majority to pass "dangerous and destructive" Delimitation Bills.
The Opposition's apprehension stems from previous legislative battles. On April 17, 2026, the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026, was defeated in Parliament after it failed to achieve the necessary two-thirds majority in the Lok Sabha. Ramesh warned that the unity of the Opposition would prevail again if the government attempted "bulldozer tactics."
Demands for Transparency
The Congress leadership has repeatedly sought a dialogue on the matter. According to Ramesh:
- Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi four times in the last six months.
- The requests specifically asked for an all-party meeting to discuss delimitation proposals transparently before any legislation is introduced.
- The Prime Minister has reportedly refused to convene such a meeting.
The Government's Defense
Responding to these allegations, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju maintained that there is no constitutional irregularity in the delay. He stated that there is no constitutional requirement prescribing a specific timeframe within which a House must be prorogued following its adjournment sine die.
Rijiju further argued that the lack of prorogation does not constitute a procedural impropriety. He also alleged that the Congress party had failed to provide dates for discussion, which prompted the government to extend its outreach to other political parties.
For context, the Monsoon Session of Parliament began on July 20 and was adjourned sine die on August 13, after 19 sittings over a period of 25 days.