Disruptions continue in Parliament both houses adjourned

New Delhi: The last week of Parliament is unlikely to see any business being conducted with the Congress party showing no signs of relenting on its demands and continuing to seek the resignation of Union and state ministers, while hitting out at the BJP for its “politics of abuse”. Twenty-five Congress MPs, who were suspended by Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan last week for ”willfully” obstructing the proceedings in the Lower House, also returned to Parliament after their five-day ban ended on Monday.

On resumption of the session on Monday, the Janata Dal (U) and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) gave notices on various issues. The JD (U) had moved an adjournment motion in RS on Bihar governor’s appointment issue while the RJD had given notice on the Jharkhand stampede incident.

Both the adjournment motions were, however, disallowed by the speaker.

After heated exchanges between the treasury and Opposition benches in Rajya Sabha, the deputy Speakr P J Kurien adjourned the House till 2pm. 

The Lok Sabha, too, was adjourned till 2 pm due to Opposition uproar over Lalit Modi, Vyapam controversies. The speaker adjourned the House after Congress rejected SP leader Mulayam Singh Yadav’s suggestion that she convenes a meeting to break logjam.

Meanwhile, Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said that it was the responsibility of the presiding officers of the two houses of parliament -Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan and Rajya Sabha Chairman M. Hamid Ansari and their deputies to make sure that proceedings be conducted and carried out normally when parliament is in session.

Jaitley made this acerbic statement when an unrelenting opposition refused to allow proceedings to begin in both Houses on Monday morning, leading to adjournments.

“Your responsibility is to make sure the House runs. If the opposition is allowed to speak, the government must also get a fair chance to speak in the House,” Jaitley to Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman P.J.Kurien before proceedings were adjourned.

With just four days of the monsoon session of Parliament left, the Congress has made it clear that the protests inside the House will continue if the government did not accept their demand of removing the minsters and chief ministers involved in Lalit Modi issue and Vyapam scam.