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Speaker concerned about absent MPs, question hour disruptions

By IANS,

New Delhi : Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar Monday said she was going to write to leaders of all parties to share her concern on question hour being disrupted repeatedly and MPs being absent from the house during important debates.

“It is a matter of concern. I am going to write to the leaders of the political parties on these issues,” the speaker told reporters outside parliament during lunch-break.

Earlier in the day, the house could take up questions to only three ministries due to the absence of members who were to pose the queries.

Some MPs, particularly from the Left parties, who were to ask questions had gathered near the speaker’s podium to raise slogans against the government for sending a central team to assess the law and order situation in West Bengal.

Raising slogans against the central government, Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) and Samajwadi Party members marched up to the speaker’s podium. The BSP also supported the demand.

Amid protest by the MPs, the speaker said in the house: “Question hour is in a pathetic situation.”

She also appealed to the agitating MPs to let her conduct the question hour without interruptions. But the Left and Samajwadi Party MPs remained adamant and continued to raise slogans.

However, the speaker continued with question hour.

Finally, at 11.30 p.m., the speaker adjourned the house for 30 minutes after calling MPs — including BJP’s Varun Gandhi and Congress’ Madhu Goud Yaskhi, Shruti Choudhary, Prabodh Panda and Rajiv Ranjan Singh — who were absent after giving notice.