The Government on Tuesday insisted that it wanted to have a full run of the Budget Session and pass Financial Bills as also important legislations relating to Medical Council of India, Fugitive Economic Offenders, Motor Vehicles and other key pending ones and rejected the Congress’ disruption of Parliament proceedings as a tactic to hide its own skeletons related to banking irregularities since 2011.
Attacking the Congress, the Government said while the TDP, the TRS and the AIADMK may have their regional issues why is the Congress protesting after having been told that that discussion on banking irregularities could be held under Rule 193.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar maintained that it was agreed in the first day meeting of the Business Advisory Committee of the lok Sabha that Finance and Appropriation Bill will be taken in the second week of the current Session and therefore time was given and issues listed in the business agenda. He said the Government also agreed for a discussion on banking irregularities but the Congress is disrupting Parliament as it does not want itself to be exposed and “come under scanner” during the debate, the Minster claimed.
“We want to run Parliament for the full Session even after completing Finance Bill and pass pending important Bills,” Kumar said and squarely blamed “a desperate, declining and disintegrating Congress for stalling Parliament.”
The Minister who said his Government was in touch with the Opposition “everyday”, however, did not give any suggestion that a breakthrough was coming soon to end Parliament logjam. The Government seemed to be on the offense on the issue.
It is for the seventh day on the run that Parliament could not transact any significant business as the Congress and other Opposition parties continued their noisy protests forcing adjournment in both the Houses. The pattern of the protests has been same since the beginning of the second phase of the Parliament on March 5. The Session is to conclude on April 6.