New Delhi: The Lok Sabha managed to transact some business when it resumed on Monday this week as two bills were introduced and another taken up for consideration by the House even as the Opposition continued their protests.
Meanwhile, representatives from different political parties came together to condemn the attack in Gurdaspur in Punjab where gunmen held a police station under siege for nearly 12 hours.
Members of Akali Dal, BJP, CPI(M) and BJD spoke on the attack during the zero hour amid the din created by members of Congress, NCP, Left, Trinamool Congress (TMC), Samajwadi Party, RJD, JD(U) and TRS over various issues.
During the protest that spilled over into the well, Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury climbed the podium of Speaker Sumitra Mahajan’s dais and banged a placard on it. The Speaker asked Chowdhury to leave the House for “disregarding the authority of the chair” which led to adjournments. More
The Asian Age reports that the day clearly belonged to the Speaker who remained unfazed despite the din created by Congress MPs who were marshalled by party vice-president Rahul Gandhi. Despite sloganeering at her table, Mahajan conducted the business of the House and allowed the question hour to be taken up and issues raised under Rule 377, besides legislative business.
However, Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge cried foul when the Speaker told him he could speak only if his MPs returned to their respective places. “You cannot speak when your MPs continue to break the rule,” Mahajan said. Read interview with Kharge here
The government was hopeful about transacting business in the second week that Parliament is in session and has been strategizing over how to break the impasse and isolate the Congress. Reports indicate that the government is also looking at tweaking the controversial land acquisition bill by including a fresh section which will allow state governments to have provisions of consent clause and social impact assessments while implementing the law. More
However, it was over the land bill that the TMC chose to hold its first protest in Parliament. After a quiet stint where it allowed some bill to pass through and refused to join Congress and Left demands for resignation of key BJP leaders, the TMC demonstrated outside Parliament against the land bill.
Essentially, the first day of the second week of the Lok Sabha continued to be disrupted with unruly scenes. The Hindu reports that the Lok Sabha was in session for 24 minutes from 11am and 44 minutes from noon before being adjourned.
Here’s a quick take on what happened on Monday.
