Parl remains paralysed, Ananth Kumar reminds Opp of President's appeal

Despite just three working days left for the conclusion of the Winter Session, the Parliament remained paralysed on Friday as the impasse over demonetisation continued in the two houses with Treasury and Opposition clashing and accusing each other for the sustained disruption of the proceedings and seeking an apology from each other.

The lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha continued to be deadlocked over the way a debate should take place on demonetisation announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on November 8. While in the Rajya Sabha Opposition sought presence of the Prime Minister and his apology before debate could be resumed, in the lok Sabha it sought that discussion on the hardships faced by the people due to demonetisation take place under the voting provisions.

In the lok Sabha, the Parliamentary affairs Minister Ananth Kumar reminded Opposition of President Pranab Mukherjee’s appeal to ensure smooth running of the Parliament and demanded that they apologise to people for  wasting their money. BJP MP Meenakshi lekhi also asked opposition to tender “apology” for disrupting the house business.  She said for protests and sit-ins, as suggested by the President, Jantar Mantar is the best place and not Parliament.

As soon as the lower  House assembled for the day, Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge rose to make some points but BJP members latched on to the President’s observations made Thursday, to target the opposition party. Slogan shouting started  from both the sides.

The two sides  accused each other of constantly changing goal posts and derailing the proceedings of the Parliament.  The lok Sabha was adjourned twice by Speaker Sumitra Mahajan before being adjourned for the day until December 14, at 1210 hours.

 With a four-day holiday in between, the session has only three working days left before it concludes on December 16.

Amidst bedlam, the lower house  Friday approved  that  AAP member Bhagwant Mann’s membership be suspended for the remaining period of the winter session., 

The MP  was held guilty by a parliamentary panel of putting the security of Parliament House at risk.

 The House approved a motion put by Kirit Somaiya, who headed the 9-member committee probing the videography issue, after it tabled the report Thursday.

 The committee in its report had held that the conduct of 43-year-old Mann, who had landed in a controversy in July after live-streaming from Parliament House on social media, was “highly objectionable” which showed him “bereft of basic knowledge, etiquettes and responsibilities of the office he holds”.

In the Rajya Sabha  the opposition  created disruptions over demonetization while  also  by raising the issue of slashing of import duty on wheat from 10 per cent to nil. The House was finally adjourned for the day because of lack of quorum.

Ever since the session began on November 16, the lok Sabha has managed to conduct only two legislative actions -- passage of Income Tax amendment bill and approval of Supplementary Demand for Grants -- that too amid din and without much debate.

The Rajya Sabha has functioned normally only on the first day of the session when the debate on demonetisation was initiated and held for about 5 hours.