New Delhi:
Both Houses of Parliament opened to slogan-shouting and disruption again on Friday morning. An all-party meeting called by the government for 10 am today to break the logjam was a non-starter, with the Congress not available to meet at that time.
Here are the latest developments:
The government called the meeting this morning, following up on a promise it made yesterday that it would attempt to break the impasse in Parliament, which has seen little work done in the last two weeks.
The Congress RSVPed to say it had its own party meeting and so could not attend. It also made clear that it would continue to disrupt proceedings till three top BJP leaders caught in scandals are removed.
Amid uproar in the Rajya Sabha, the Congress' Anand Sharma said, "The PM must respond to our demands." The Upper House was repeatedly adjourned. The Lok Sabha, too, saw loud protests and was adjourned till 2 pm.
Earlier today, the PM met senior ministers Rajnath Singh, Sushma Swaraj and Venkaiah Naidu in Parliament, where there has been virtually no work since the start of the session.
At a meeting of all parties called by the Lok Sabha Speaker yesterday, the opposition put the responsibility of ensuring that Parliament runs on the shoulders of the government. Many opposition leaders pointed out that it had made no move to initiate dialogue.
Home Minister Rajnath Singh had then said the government would call a meeting of all parties to discuss every concern of the opposition. The government has so far ruled out the resignation of any of its leaders.
Before Parliament convened today, the Congress' Mallikarjun Kharge said, "BJP started the tradition of demanding resignations. Everyone knows about their double standards."
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said on Thursday that the Congress leadership has "failed the test," by not allowing a discussion on the terror attack in Punjab earlier this week, an issue of national security. He sought an explanation from Congress President Sonia Gandhi.
Parliament was adjourned for two days following the death of former President APJ Abdul Kalam on Monday. On Thursday, Rajnath Singh's statement on the terror attack was drowned out by the Congress' slogan-shouting.
Key legislation is pending, including a bill on the major tax reform, the Goods and Services Tax that the government must push through in this 21-day monsoon session, half of which has already been squandered to the disruptions. Every minute of Parliament in session costs the tax payer about Rs 29,000.
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