New Delhi: After the Lok Sabha was adjourned sine die over protests by Opposition a meeting held at Speaker Om Birla's room in Parliament saw Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress president Sonia Gandhi in attendance. The meeting is customary after the close of a session.
In a video released of the meeting, the PM and Sonia Gandhi sat on adjoining sofas next to the Speaker. The video also showed Home Minister Amit Shah, the Congress's Lok Sabha leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury and leaders of the Trinamool Congress, Akali Dal, YSR Congress and BJD in attendance.
The Speaker urged all leaders to encourage debate and discussion, stressing that it is the only way to serve the people. The picture of amity in the Speaker's room was incongruous with the acrimony in this session, with protests and daily disruptions in both houses of parliament.
The Lok Sabha ended today, two days before schedule. As the opposition protested on a range of issues including the Pegasus snooping scandal, fuel prices and the Covid crisis, the government was accused of rushing through bills without discussion.
The Speaker said the Lok Sabha functioned only 21 hours in the month-long session and its productivity was at 22 per cent.
The Rajya Sabha saw similar disruptions and yesterday, opposition members stood on the table at the centre of the house and one MP threw the rule book at the Chair.
"I am distressed as the way this sacredness was destroyed yesterday when some members sat on the table some others climbed on the tables of the house, perhaps to be more visible, was an act of sacrilege. I have no words to condemn the act as I spent a sleepless night," Mr Naidu had said in the house, breaking down.
