Finally, Parliament is back to business

Slogans like 'We want JPC' were no more heard, there was no trooping into the well over the 2G spectrum scam and all members conducted themselves peacefully as Parliament's Budget session got off on Tuesday.

In total contrast to the winter session which was washed out due to the stand-off over the 2G spectrum allocation issue, the first working day of the Budget session saw normal functioning in both Houses. The tone for the peaceful functioning of the session was set by Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh when he announced the government's decision to set up a Joint Parliamentary Committee to probe 2G spectrum allocation. Singh made the announcement in the Lok Sabha as soon as the House met for the day and it was immediately welcomed by the Opposition parties.

Noting that the government was agreeing to the JPC formation due to "special circumstances", he said the country could "ill-afford" disruption of the crucial Budget session. Leader of the Opposition Sushma Swaraj said the government's decision should not be seen as anybody's "victory or defeat" as it was a "victory of democracy". "We should all work together putting aside any talk of victory or defeat," she said.

Leaders of other parties, including the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, Communist Party of India-Marxist, CPI, Samajwadi Party, Janata Dal-United, Biju Janata Dal and the Telangana Rashtra Samithi also welcomed the government decision. Soon after their brief comments, Question Hour was taken up in both Houses and it was followed by Zero Hour and a debate on the Motion of Thanks to President Pratibha Patil's address to Parliament on Monday.

During the four-week winter session that ended on December 13, both Houses saw similar scenes every day with Opposition members trooping into the well and creating pandemonium by raising slogans seeking a JPC into the 2G scam, a demand continuously rejected by the government.

The government had to finally give in and agree to the JPC probe. It also had to give in to the Opposition's demand to make the announcement on the first working day of the Budget session.