By IANS,
New Delhi : The Lok Sabha broke early for lunch Thursday following protests over Parliamentary Affairs Minister Vayalar Ravi’s accusation that the opposition disrupted the house proceedings for more than 30-40 percent time of the total session.
Vayalar Ravi was replying to Communist Party of India’s (CPI) leader in the house Gurudas Dasgupta’s allegation that the government was running away from parliament by holding the session less than 50 days in a year.
Dasgupta said the US Congress held several sessions to discuss the India-US civil nuclear deal before signing it but the Manmohan Singh government neglected the Indian parliament and no proper discussion was held in parliament on the matter.
The UPA (United Progressive Alliance) government is known for its parliamentary illegitimacy and the government also abjectly assaulted our parliamentary system, Dasgupta said.
When Vayalar Ravi was responding, Dasgupta kept interrupting him. The minister then levelled the charge that the opposition was disrupting the session most of the times.
The entire opposition protested the minister’s statement and raised an uproar forcing Speaker Somnath Chatterjee to adjourn early for lunch.
Earlier, the Left parliamentarians, who staged a walk out over the issue of increased oil prices in the country, returned after a brief while but again walked out demanding adequate foodgrain quota and electricity supply for Kerala.
Communist Party of India-Marxist MP N.N. Krishnadas raised the issue.
Vayalar Ravi said he would draw the prime minister’s attention to the matter.