With no end to the Government-BJP stand-off over the CAG report on coal block allocation, the last week of the Monsoon session of Parliament began today with a repeat of stormy scenes raising the possibility of a washout of the remaining four days.
The month-long session, which has already lost the previous two weeks to the BJP’s unrelenting demand for the resignation of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, again saw an uproar created by BJP members, leading to wastage of one more day of both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.
However, amid the din, three bills, including the Protection of Women Against Sexual Harassment at Workplace Bill, 2010, were passed in the Lok Sabha within minutes without any debate.
The other two legislations were the North-Eastern Areas (Reorganisation) Amendment Bill, 2011, and the National Highways Authority of India (Amendment) Bill, 2011.
In the Rajya Sabha, repeated attempts by the Government to ensure passage of the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences (Amendment) Bill, 2012, were thwarted by Left parties which insisted that these should not be cleared without a debate.
As the two Houses met for the day, it was the repeat of scenes witnessed over the last eight days with BJP members raising slogans and rushing into the Well to demand the Prime Minister’s resignation.
Slogans like Koyle ki dalali hai, Congress sarkar kali hai (brokerage of coal has turned Congress Government black) and Pradhan Mantri Isteefa Do (Prime Minister should quit) rent the air leading to clashes as Congress members countered.
Some UPA members were also seen waving the ‘List of Business’ at the agitating BJP members indicating their opposition to the disruption of the proceedings.