Oppn, govt near compromise on Winter Session

NEW DELHI: The Parliament logjam over demonetisation could end with the Congress on Wednesday giving up its demand for a debate under a rule that entails voting, hours after BJP veteran LK Advani embarrassed the government, lashing out at its failure to run the House.

Parliament has not got much business done after it opened for the winter session on November 16, with the Opposition taking on the government over its decision to discontinue `500 and `1,000 banknotes that has triggered a cash crunch.

The Opposition softened its stand during a meeting with speaker Sumitra Mahajan in the evening. Senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge accepted Mahajan’s offer for a debate in the Lok Sabha without invoking any rules regarding voting but said the government should suspend all business to start the discussion, sources said.

Congress party’s chief whip Jyotiraditya Scindia and Trinamool Congress leader Sudip Bandopadhyaya also met the speaker. The government had

Who is running the House? Neither the speaker nor the parliamentary affairs minister is running the House… This is disgraceful

LK ADVANI, senior BJP leader

not responded to the proposal till late evening.

The meeting came hours after former deputy prime minister Advani berated the government and the Opposition for disruptions in the Lok Sabha.

The BJP patriarch lost his cool after the House was adjourned for a second time in the day at 12.44pm.

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