2nd part of session set for washout

NEW DELHI, May 7:
The second part of budget session of Parliament appears set to be a washout with the Opposition unrelenting on its demand for resignation of Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh as also ministers P K Bansal and Ashwani Kumar.
With the uproar continuing on the issue, Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha adjourned without transacting any business for the tenth day.
As only three days are left for the three-month long session to conclude, the fate of key legislations like National Food Security Bill and Land Acquisition Bill remains uncertain.
Opposition has been saying it was ready for early passage of the two legislations provided the Government ensures resignation of Bansal and Kumar.
The only work done in the second phase was the passage of the Finance Bill, which marked the end of the budgetary exercise and the Railway Budget without any discussion with the opposition walking out.
Congress top brass, including the Prime Minister and party chief Sonia Gandhi, met to discuss the impasse in Parliament amid talk of early sine die adjournment of the session.
A similar deadlock was witnessed during the Winter Session of 2010 over the Opposition demand for setting up of a Joint Parliamentary Committee on the alleged scam in 2G spectrum allocation.
Opposition members rushed to the Well in both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha raising slogans against the Prime Minister and Railway and Law Ministers leading to adjournment of the two Houses twice before lunch.
Rajya Sabha witnessed high drama when AGP members Kumar Deepak Das and Birendra Kumar Baishya tried to snatch a copy of the Constitution (119th Amendment) Bill, being moved by External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid, to ratify the exchange of enclaves agreement signed by India and Bangladesh.
As soon as the Lok Sabha reassembled at noon after one adjournment, the House plunged into turmoil with members of BJP, SP, SAD, BJD and Left parties trooping into the Well.
BJP and Left parties raised slogans seeking resignation of the Railway Minister and the Law Minister for their alleged role in the cash-for-railway jobs issue and dilution of CBI report respectively.
BJP members also raised slogans against the Government’s bid to push through the National Food Security Bill in the Lok Sabha without a proper discussion.
While Akali Dal members raised placards protesting the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, SP members demanded implementation of Sachar Committee recommendations for welfare of religious minorities.
After the House was adjourned, top leaders of BJP, CPI(M) and some other parties were seen huddled in some serious discussion. Even Trinamool Congress leader Sougata Roy was seen talking to BJP leaders.
However, it could not be known what was being discussed.
Earlier, when the House met for the day, uproarious scenes were witnessed soon after Speaker Meira Kumar read out the obituary reference to former member Chandramani Tripathi. She was forced to give a go bye to the Question Hour and adjourn the House till noon.
Similar scenes were witnessed when the Lok Sabha re-convened at 1:00 p.M. And Sardinha, who was in the chair, adjourned the House till tomorrow.
In the Rajya Sabha, which reconvened at 2 PM, Deputy Chairman P J Kurien tried to take up a short duration discussion on atrocities on women.
But as Opposition was unrelenting, he adjourned the proceedings till tomorrow. (PTI)