Parliament yesterday remained deadlocked for the 11th consecutive day on the issue of demonetisation as the opposition persisted with its demand for a discussion in the Lok Sabha under the rules entailing voting and seeking Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s apology in the Rajya Sabha.
Both the Houses were adjourned for the day after opposition led by Congress and Trinamool Congress kept up a din.
In the Rajya Sabha, the opposition created an uproar over its demand that Modi apologise for allegedly projecting outside Parliament that the entire opposition was supporting black money.
The prime minister was present in the upper house in pre and post-lunch sessions.
In the morning, the house was adjourned for 15 minutes and then till 2pm when the opposition continued to demand the apology.
When it met again at 2pm, deputy chairman P J Kurien tried to persuade the protesting members to continue the discussion on demonetisation but opposition members, led by Congress, trooped near his podium to demand an apology from Modi, who was then present in the house.
Kurien said: “This is unfair. Your demand was that the prime minister should come to the house. Now he is here. You continue the discussion.”
But the opposition didn’t relent and shouted slogans like “Prime Minister, apologise”.
Kurien then adjourned the house for the day.
Earlier, Modi entered the house at noon, when a heated exchange was on over the opposition’s charge that the government had bypassed the upper house by taking the “money bill route” while moving the Income Tax Laws (Second Amendment) Bill, 2016, passed by the Lok Sabha on Tuesday. Money bills do not need the upper house’s nod.
As soon as Modi entered, leader of opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad sought his apology for allegedly portraying the entire opposition as supporters of black money, but treasury benches protested noisily at this demand.
Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati and Janata Dal-United leader Sharad Yadav reiterated their demand that Modi should sit through the entire debate.
In the Lok Sabha, the opposition again disrupted the proceedings persistently demanding a discussion on demonetisation under a rule that entails voting, forcing Speaker Sumitra Mahajan to adjourn the house for the day shortly after noon. The opposition, led by the Congress and the Trinamool, trooped near the Speaker’s podium to demand a discussion on demonetisation as Mahajan tried to conduct the Question Hour.
Members of the Left parties, the Samajwadi Party, the Nationalist Congress Party and the Rashtriya Janata Dal stood in the aisles in solidarity, while AIADMK members also stood near their seats.
The Parliament has experienced a virtual washout since the winter session began on November 16 as the government and the opposition have locked horns over demonetisation and the consequent cash crunch.