New Delhi | Amid a logjam in the Lok Sabha, Speaker Om Birla on Monday made an "emotional appeal" to floor leaders of parties, urging them to let the voice of the people be heard and allow the House to function without disruption.
Since the Monsoon session began on July 20, the Opposition has been holding protests demanding a response from Home Minister Amit Shah on the police crackdown on students protesting NEET paper leak across the country and a debate on alleged theft of donations from Ram Temple in Ayodhya.
At the meeting of the Business Advisory Committee, Birla said key bills should be discussed in the House and there should be no disruption so that members can express their views on the laws being passed by Parliament, sources said.
Emphasising the importance of constructive deliberations, meaningful participation and adherence to the highest parliamentary traditions, the Speaker appealed to all parties to extend their cooperation in ensuring the smooth and orderly conduct of the proceedings so that issues concerning the people can be discussed in a comprehensive and productive manner, sources said.
For the 16th straight day, the Lower House has not been able to complete the Question Hour due to persistent sloganeering by opposition members. As many as nine bills were passed by the Lok Sabha during the ongoing session, but a debate could take place only on two.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Monday said the government is ready for a debate in the Lok Sabha on the student protests as well as police action, and the Union Home Minister will reply to the debate, but the Opposition should give an assurance that they will "not run away" from it and listen peacefully.
But despite government assurance, a bill to set up a national tribunal commission was passed by the House without a debate as the Opposition continued with noisy protests.
