Amid ongoing protests by the Opposition on the demand for JPC on 2G spectrum allocation, Parliament on Friday concluded crucial financial business with Rajya Sabha passing the supplementary demands of `1,024.61 crores. The Upper House passed the Supplementary Demands for Grants for 2010-11 by a voice vote and without any debate as Opposition continued to raise slogans against the government on their demand for a JPC on 2G spectrum allocation.
The government also introduced the National Identification Authority of India Bill 2010, when Rajya Sabha reconvened at 12 noon. Soon after these important measures were pushed through the House was adjourned till 2.30 pm. The scene was no different when it reassembled and the chair adjourned the House till Monday.
The Lok Sabha too witnessed similar pandemonium despite Speaker Meira Kumar’s appeal to the protesting Opposition members to allow the House to take up private members’ business. She stated that the members might not get another opportunity if their items were not taken up on Friday.
“It is my earnest appeal to all sections of the House to allow private members business,” she said before adjourning the House till 3.30 pm. However, as the Opposition continued with its protests the House was adjourned for the day.
Earlier, when the Parliament met for the day, both Houses observed silence and paid homage to the victims of Bhopal gas tragedy on its 26th anniversary.
In the Rajya Sabha, vice-president Hamid Ansari regretted the “indifferent attitude” of authorities in the subsequent years of the tragedy and said it had compounded the “human tragedy of unparalleled magnitude”.