The Winter Session of the Parliament ended on Friday after both the Houses, Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, were adjourned sine die. The Session concluded with some chaotic days with the Treasury and Opposition benches sparring over key bills and issues.

Although the Session saw discussion and passage of some crucial bills, including VB G RAM G and SHANTI Bills, a much-expected public issue of rising air pollution across Indian cities failed to get a preference for the members of Parliament.

The Session started with its first political slugfest over the debate marking 150 years of Vande Mataram in both the Houses. A discussion on electoral reforms followed this. The discussions were initiated when there was an alarming rise in the air pollution level in the national capital, and there was a strong demand for some constructive efforts by the government.

In a total of 15 sittings of the Parliament, some prominent bills were taken up for discussion. A Bill to establish a higher education regulator was referred to a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC).

SHANTI, a bill to open up the civil nuclear sector for private companies, was passed. The bill seeking 100 per cent foreign direct investment (FDI) in the investment sector also got a parliamentary nod in the Winter Session.

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Amid this, the Opposition leaders, including the Leader of Opposition, Rahul Gandhi, and Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi, raised the issue of worsening air quality, seeking a construction discussion without 'blame game'.

In a passionate pitch during the Zero Hour on December 12, Gandhi said, "This is not an ideological issue. Everybody in this House would agree that air pollution, the damage it is doing to our people, is something that we would like to cooperate on."

He had suggested that the discussion on the issue can be framed in an 'interesting manner' where the opposition and the government do not trade abuses at each other, but find a solution to the problem.

Reacting to it, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren expressed the government's readiness to discuss it, and the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) can allot time for the same.

As the expectations soared, just a day before the end of the session, reports confirmed that BAC has allocated time for discussion on air pollution in the Lok Sabha on Thursday.

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The discussion was to be initiated by Priyanka Gandhi in the evening after the voting on the VB-G RAM G Bill. Union Environment Minister Bhupendra Patel was also expected to reply to the issue.

However, the passage of the VB-G RAM G Bill triggered a chaotic scene in the Lower House. The MPs, who were opposing the bill and were demanding that it be sent to JPC, tore the copies.

The ruckus led to the adjournment of the Lok Sabha for the day, suspending all other businesses for the day. The vital issue of air pollution, which continues to inflict health damages to the citizens, was once again ignored by the lawmakers.

The discussion in the Parliament on the impending issue can only be taken up in the next session, which is the Budget Session in February, when the air pollution level dips due to weather conditions.

On Friday morning, the air quality in Delhi neared the 'severe' category with AQI shooting up to 387. A large part of the city was hit by a thick layer of toxic smog, severely affecting visibility and creating health issues like a throat ache, blocked nose, etc. A similar condition has persisted in the capital for more than four days.