New Delhi: Amid continuous ruckus by the Opposition parties demanding discussion on Pegasus project reports and other issues, both Houses of the Parliament were Friday adjourned till Monday. While Congress termed snooping as ‘murder of democracy’, the BJD denounced the passage of Bills without debate in Parliament.
With this, half of the Monsoon session of the parliament was over. The Monsoon session started July 19 and is scheduled to end August 13.
While Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha saw multiple adjournments since the beginning of the session, the Union government has passed several Bills without debate.
The Lok Sabha has passed the Inland Vessels Bill, 2021, the Airports Economic Regulatory Authority of India (Amendment) Bill 2021, the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (Amendment) Bill 2021, Supplementary Demands for Grants for 2021-22 and Demands for Excess Grants 2017-18 among others amid pandemonium.
Similarly, Rajya Sabha passed Factoring Regulation (Amendment) Bill 2021, Coconut Development Board (Amendment) Bill, 2021 and several other bills amid the din.
Criticising the Modi government, Congress MP from Koraput Saptagiri Ulaka said that the government must allow discussion on the Pegasus project report. He said that the House belongs to MPs and not to the government.
“It is murder of democracy. This government has been snooping on its own people. Judges, journalists, politicians, ministers and civil rights activists have been allegedly spied upon by this government. Now, they are not ready to hold discussion on the issue. Many countries have initiated investigations into the Pegasus project but our government is not ready to discuss it,” Ulaka said.
Expressing dissatisfaction over continuous uproarious situation in both Houses, the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) Friday said it is the responsibility of both the government and Opposition to run the Parliament smoothly. BJD Parliamentary Party leader in Rajya Sabha Prasanna Acharya said the government should hold a meeting with the Opposition parties and take steps to end the deadlock.
“In the all-party meeting, the government had given assurance to hold discussion on any issue as per rules. The government should sit with the Opposition parties and try to find ways for smooth functioning of the Houses. We all are accountable to the people,” Acharya said.
The BJD MP also decried the passage of Bills without any discussion in Parliament. “Every Bill must be scrutinised and debated properly before its passage in any of the Houses. The laws made in the Parliament have a nationwide impact. The government should not pass Bills without discussion,” Acharya added.