The Lok Sabha proceedings on Thursday continued to remain marred with the Government side seeking an apology from the Opposition for its behaviour in the House a day before and the Congress accusing the treasury of being arrogant and not allowing the Opposition to discuss major issues.
The Lower House was adjourned for the day in the afternoon after repeated adjournments amid slogan shouting by Opposition members carrying placards in the well and displaying them around the Chair and before the ministers speaking during the question-hour.
Amid the continuous impasse, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi and BJP’s leader in the Rajya Sabha Piyush Goyal understood to have met Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge to break the deadlock in both the houses of Parliament.
According to sources, Congress-led opposition front of 14 parties has decided that no work be allowed in the monsoon session unless government agrees to a discussion on Pegasus spyware controversy and makes a formal response on the issue.
Barring few bills introduced and passed by voice-vote without a discussion, the Parliament session has, so far, been a washout.
Two bills- Airport Economic Regulatory of India , 2021, Inland vessels bill, 2021, - were introduced in the lower house on Thursday.
When the house resumed for the day, Speaker Om Birla said some members of the house are repeating incidents that are against Parliament rules.
“Indian Parliament is accountable to people. You are not just individuals, you are institutions”, he said.
“If this continues, I’ll have to take an action against those members in order to maintain the decorum of the House”, said Birla adding that it is a collective responsibility of the members to protect and raise dignity if the house.
A reconciliation eluded the two sides with the government asking the opposition whether it wanted to apologise for the misconduct of MPs in the House on Wednesday when bundles of papers were flung at ministers and the chair of the presiding officer and the opposition accusing the Treasury side of arrogance.
The Government has asked the Speaker for action against the errant MPs unless they apologised.
The Lok Sabha was first announced till 11.30 am than 2 pm and 3 pm and for the day thereafter.