Cong adamant on PM’s clarification

RS remained paralysed on 6th day as both Houses adjourned till Wednesday

The Rajya Sabha remained paralysed for the third day on Friday and adjourned within 25 minutes as the Congress is adamant on Prime Minister Modi’s clarification, if not apology, on his insinuation of conspiracy with Pakistan during Gujarat polls that has badly hit his predecessor Dr Manmohan Singh.

The Lok Sabha, however, functioned on Friday, though amid slogans by the Congress well from the well in the morning session, discussing the adjournment motion on cyclone Ockhi and then taking up the private members’ business.

Both the Houses will now meet on Wednesday as they are shut for two days on December 25 and 26 for Christmas.

Opposition leader Ghulam Nabi Azad jumped to his feet in the Rajya Sabha to point out to Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu that a panel he suggested to sort out the matter has not yet yielded any result and so better adjourn the House till 2.30 pm when the private members’ business can be taken up.

Congress deputy leader Anand Sharma also joined him to state that the Opposition wants debates and passage of the Bill but only after the deadlock over the PM’s remark, while Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Vijay Goel that both sides are talking to end the impasse and so better allow the House to function as many crores are spent on it every day.

Anand Sharma and Azad even suggested adjournment till 2 or 2.30 pm to enable the panel sort out the deadlock.

Chairman Venkaiah Naidu, however, felt the members want to rush home in view of the Christmas holidays and so adjourned the House to meet again only on Wednesday.

When Trinamul’s Derek O’Brien protested at the Chairman blanking out the Rajya Sabha on Thursday when the Congress members were in the well, stressing that the people should watch whatever happens in the House, the Chairman ticked him off saying “this is a suggestion”.