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Congress functionaries added that Kharge has mentioned that even during former vice president Hamid Ansari’s tenure as the chairman, the leader of the Opposition enjoyed freedom in speaking in the House, and no one was allowed to disrupt or stop his speeches, but that this is happening now. He has also said that opposition parties are not getting time to raise their issues.

The situation in the Rajya Sabha, where the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance is still in minority, was discussed among opposition parties in their meeting on Friday morning. According to a leader from a non-Congress opposition party , the general consensus was that the Opposition was being muzzled in the Rajya Sabha.

Opposition-led protests have rocked both Houses of Parliament from the beginning of the monsoon session on July 19. The Opposition is demanding a debate on the Pegasus snooping row with either the PM or the HM participating in it. The government has, so far, not agreed to that demand.

Senior government managers are expected to meet with opposition parties in an attempt to salvage the remaining 10 days of the current session.

Another opposition leader who asked not to be named argued that no “calling attention motion” or short duration discussion was allowed in the previous two sessions and no debate under Rule 267 — or suspension of other business to take up a debate — has been allowed in this session so far.

The government functionary cited above pointed out that Naidu has consideration for the Opposition having been an opposition member of the Rajya Sabha.

“In the all-party meeting on July 17, Naidu urged the government to sit with opposition leaders to arrive at an agreement on legislative business and other issues. Later in the Business Advisory Committee meeting, he again urged the government to regularly consult with the Opposition on major bills and other issues to be taken up in the House.”

According to this person Naidu “was upset over media reports that the Opposition has decided not to allow the House to function during this session”.