New Delhi: Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Pralhad Joshi on Thursday accused Mallikarjun Kharge and Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, leaders of Congress in Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha respectively, of not allowing Parliament to function since the beginning of the Monsoon session.
"Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury and Mallikarjun Kharge have not allowed the Houses to run since the Parliament session began," Joshi told reporters on the Parliament premises, in an apparent reference to the logjam over the Manipur issue. Joshi claimed that when the current session got underway, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and had urged the two leaders to allow the Parliament to function, but their efforts went in vain. Notably, the BJP-led government at the Centre has been charging the Opposition with politicising the Manipur issue and running away from a discussion on it.
Also read: Government stands with people of Manipur: Piyush Goyal in Rajya Sabha
The Opposition, which is being spearheaded by the Congress, has been demanding that Prime Minister Narendra Modi make a statement on the issue in Parliament. Ethnic clashes erupted in Manipur on May 3 and since then hundreds of people have lost their lives and thousands forced to take refuge in the relief camps. Meanwhile, as Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla skipped the House proceedings for the second consecutive day on Thursday to express displeasure over disruptions, Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury reached out to him with a plea to return to the Chair.
As soon as the Lok Sabha convened for the day, Chowdhury described Birla as the "custodian" of the House and said the members want him to return to the Chair. "When the House convenes, we wish to see the Speaker in the Chair. It is our demand that the Speaker return to the Chair. The entire House likes the Speaker," Chowdhury said as BJP leader Rajendra Agarwal presided over the Question Hour.
"Sir, please urge the Speaker to return to the chair. Whatever the differences, we will resolve them. The Speaker is our custodian, we will air our views before him whether he likes it or not," the Congress leader said, Agarwal said the message will be conveyed to the Speaker in the right manner. (Agencies)
