The opposition boycotted proceedings in both chambers after eight MPSs were suspended.,
Parliament’s monsoon session – which began after nearly five months of indefinite adjournment – is expected to end on Wednesday, eight days earlier than expected. Amid concerns about the coronavirus, the session will once again end on an indefinite note. More than 25 members tested positive for the highly contagious virus before and during the short session.
Lok Sabha, who will meet at 3 p.m. tomorrow, will likely be adjourned sine die at around 5 p.m. after an extended zero hour, sources said. Rajya Sabha is likely to adjourn indefinitely after accepting five bills, the sources said.
The abrupt conclusion of the session comes amid an uproar over the government’s very costly farm bills, which were passed by the Rajya Sabha on Sunday.
With eight opposition MPs suspended from the house yesterday due to Sunday’s heckling, the opposition boycotted proceedings in both chambers, demanding that the suspension be revoked. Lok Sabha Congressman Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said all opposition parties boycotted parliament in solidarity with suspended members of Rajya Sabha.
The opposition also boycotted the meeting of the Rajya Sabha Business Advisory Committee which was called on short notice today.
Several opposition members, including Derek O’Brien of the Trinamool Congress, Ram Gopal Yadav of the Samajwadi Party, Anand Sharma and Jairam Ramesh of the Congress and Manoj Kumar Jha of Rashtriya Janata Dal, were on the 11-member committee that is discussing the weekly agenda.
Led by Rajya Sabha Chairman Venkaiah Naidu, the committee met today to discuss the impending adjournment of the house due to the coronavirus situation.
In covid tests mandatory for parliamentarians before the start of the monsoon session, 17 members of Lok Sabha and eight of Rajya Sabha had tested positive.
During the 10-day session, several others, including Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, tested positive.
From both chambers, around 200 parliamentarians are in the vulnerable Covid age group and many of them had bypassed the session for health reasons.
