Parliament logjam continues

NEW DELHI: The impasse in both the Houses of Parliament continued for the seventh day on Tuesday in the second leg of the Budget Session. In Lok Sabha the Finance Bill 2018-19 could not being taken up as Speaker Sumitra Mahajan adjour-ned the Lower House for the day with both the Question Hour and Zero Hour being washed out. Right from start of House proceedings at 11 am, it was a chaotic sight in the Lok Sabha with protests by the Opposition MPs from the Congress, AIADMK, TRS, YSR Cong-ress, Trinamul Congress, the Left and also the TDP, as the protesting MPs positioned themselves in the well of the House with placards amid vociferous sloganeering.

In the Rajya Sabha also members were raising slogans to which the Chair-man of the House objected. The Opposition parties were protesting on a rash of issues. While the Cong-ress and the TMC were raising the issue of scam at Punjab National Bank, the TRS sought increased reservation quota and the AIADMK wanted the government to constitute the Cauvery management board even as the YSR Congress raised the Andhra Pradesh issue. The Left was also seen up on their feet holding a few pictures on placards.

The Congress, however, accused the government of conspiring to not run the house. The party said that the government is instrumental in organizing disruption by raking up different issues throu-gh its allies. While The BJP blamed the Congress for the impasse in Parliament and dubbed it “anti-democratic”, claiming that the party continues to have contempt for democracy as it had during the Emergency.

Parliamentary affairs minister Ananth Kumar said that Congress chief Rahul Gandhi and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi speak on democracy outside Parliament, but don’t practise it.