COVID-19: Govt unwilling to curtail Parliament session

New Delhi [India], Mar 16 (ANI): While MPs from several political parties have suggested curtailment of the ongoing Parliament session in the wake of COVID-19 outbreak, senior leaders of Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) said that there is no plan for rescheduling the session till now.

This comes even as several MPs in and outside the House suggested that Parliament should be adjourned till the government is fully assured of containing coronavirus.

Government sources said that there is no plan to curtail the session as of now. "I believe that the session will end at its scheduled time," stated a senior leader of BJP involved in planning the proceedings of the House.

Another senior leader in the BJP said that adequate precautions are being taken to ensure that coronavirus doesn't spread and that there is no question of a curtailed session.

"It would send a wrong message if we adjourn the session sine die. We are geared up to fight the coronavirus scare and do not think that there would be curtailing the session in wake of the virus scare," said a senior BJP leader involved in chalking strategy for the house.

However, a BJP minister 'hoped' that Parliament would not jeopardise the health of its members and maybe adjourned next week.

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor too seemed to have concerns about the ongoing Parliament session in wake of coronavirus.

"If any MP comes with coronavirus in the Parliament and suppose that MP is unaware of his or her being infected with the virus then many can get infected here. When the government is saying that people should avoid large gatherings, then Parliament would need to consider about it one day," stated Tharoor while speaking to ANI.

Many MPs across the parties from both Houses expressed concern over continued Parliament session. They also expressed reservations that on being unaware about where their fellow MPs might have travelled.

AIADMK's S R Balasubramanian, while sharing his thoughts on coronavirus in Rajya Sabha, suggested that Parliament should be adjourned earlier than its scheduled date.