The impasse in the Lok Sabha continued for the seventh day today with no let up in protests by members from opposition parties and TDP over issues like bank scams and special status demand for Andhra Pradesh, forcing the Speaker to adjourn the House. Both Question Hour and Zero Hour could not be taken up as scores of members from the TDP, Congress, AIADMK, TRS and Trinamool Congress trooped into the Well. Most of them were heard shouting "we want justice". Members from TDP, which quit the central government last week but remains part of the ruling NDA, were demanding special status for Andhra Pradesh. They were holding placards which read 'Follow alliance dharma'. YSR Congress was also raising the Andhra Pradesh issue. While the Congress and the Trinamool Congress were raising the issue of scam at Punjab National Bank, the TRS sought increased reservation quota and the AIADMK wanted the government to constitute the Cauvery management board. One of the protesting members in the Well was holding a placard which read 'Chotta Modi kahan gaya', referring to diamond merchant Nirav Modi, allegedly the key person behind the Rs 12,700 crore fraud at Punjab National Bank. Some members from the Left parties, while standing at their seats, were holding some photographs. As the bedlam continued, Speaker Sumitra Mahajan adjourned the proceedings for the day after the tabling of reports of various standing committees. The House was scheduled to take up the key Finance Bill 2018 and Appropriation bills for FY 2017-18 and 2018-19.
However, these could not come up today due to disruption of proceedings. The Lok Sabha has failed to transact substantial business on account of frequent disruptions since March 5 when the second leg of the Budget Session of Parliament commenced.
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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