Adavani meets Speaker over parliament logjam

Amid the continuing impasse in Parliament over demonetisation, veteran BJP leader L. K. Advani met Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan on Thursday in her chamber.

The meeting came a day after Advani on Wednesday termed the unending disruption of the Lok Sabha as "disgraceful" and expressed his displeasure over Mahajan and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar for not "running the House".

With just four working days left for winter session to end but a near washout of the of Parliament imminent, Mahajan, according to sources, sought suggestions from the veteran leader to break the logjam in the House.

While Advani did not interact with the media, Mahajan, later talking to reporters, hoped that better sense would prevail among the members.

"A veteran politician like Advaniji is daily coming to Parliament and is witnessing what is happening there. The House is for debate and we have already lost so many days," she said.

Sources said that Advani suggested the Speaker to act against or cut the salaries of those creating pandemonium in the house.

This reflected in Lok Sabha too when Mahajan warned the agitating members of "harsh steps" if they did not stop protesting and disrupting others who were speaking.

The Lok Sabha was adjourned for the day without transacting any meaningful business as pandemonium continued over the demonetisation decision of the government.

President Pranab Mukherjee too on the day expressed strong displeasure over the ongoing parliamentary logjam and said "disruption of Parliament is totally unacceptable".

Expressed concern that disruption of parliamentary work has become a practice, Mukherjee told the MPs to their job.

"Dharnas can be organised elsewhere," he said asking all concerned to debate and discuss issues of public importance in the house.

The normally quiet Advani on Wednesday expressed deep anguish over the continued disruptions and wondered 'why not adjourn sine die'.

On Wednesday, senior BJP leader Shanta Kumar wrote to the Speaker urging her to take disciplinary action, including stopping salary and allowances, and even expel members.

Charging certain political parties of "crossing all limits", Kumar who is perceived close to Advani, advocated taking stern steps to restore discipline in the House.

"After 70 years of independence, the country's politics should have been more serious, decent, disciplined and mature. Instead, values in public life continue to fall. Consequently, the term politician is not a symbol of respect," Kumar wrote in the letter.

--IANS

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