New Delhi:
Congress president Sonia Gandhi has asked for a list of those Congress MPs who were absent during question hour on Monday. Only 2 of 28 MPs were present in the House during question hour yesterday and this has not gone down well with Sonia Gandhi.
Earlier on Tuesday, Congress said it has taken serious note of the issue and the Chief Whip of the party will ask members about it.
"We have taken a serious note (of the issue) and we would talk to the MPs," a party leader said.
"The Chief Whip will ask about it," AICC Secretary Rajeev Shukla told reporters outside Parliament House.
Asked about the response of the party on party MPs being absent from the Question Hour, he said members who have asked questions should be present.
An exasperated Parliamentary Affairs Minister P K Bansal had on Monday questioned the relevance of the Question Hour if the MPs were going to remain absent.
Party sources maintain that their Sonia Gandhi, who is also the CPP Chairperson, has time and again expressed concern about the absence of MPs in Parliament and asked them to participate in the deliberations.
Lok Sabha's Question Hour had collapsed yesterday for the first time in two decades, prompting Speaker Meira Kumar to express concern.
The Lower House had created a record of sorts with as many as 34 members, who had listed questions, remaining absent, forcing the Speaker to adjourn the House within 30 minutes of its assembling.
Last time, Lok Sabha's Question Hour had collapsed in 1991. Similar developments had happened twice in 1983, five times in 1985, three times in 1988 and twice in 1989,
Parliament sources said.
They said it requires Rs 14 lakh to run the Lok Sabha for an hour and the government has to prepare hard to face the members. (With PTI inputs)