Lack of quorum stops parliamentary panel from adopting Doklam report

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs on Thursday could not adopt the draft report on Doklam issue due to lack of quorum as most of the BJP members stayed away from the meeting.

According to sources, only one BJP member was present in the meeting and there was no quorum to adopt the draft report on Doklam issue and India-China relations, which was prepared by the Standing Committee on External Affairs headed by Congress leader Shashi Tharoor.

Congress President Rahul Gandhi is also the member of the committee but was not present in the meeting on Thursday, said one of the members.

"The report could not be adopted because there was no quorum," said the member.

It also met on Tuesday to adopt the report but a few members objected to it and said that they had not received the draft report.

The 73-day standoff at Doklam plateau in the Sikkim sector of the border ended in August last year after India and China agreed to disengage their troops.

There has been no change in the status quo at the site of the military face-off with China in Doklam and the issue was resolved with diplomatic maturity, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said on August 1.

The members of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs had gone to the border areas in Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh to take stock of ground situation.

--IANS

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