Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad was literally caught napping in the Lok Sabha on Monday. Prasad was seen catching his forty winks while being seated in his allocated first row seat, which is right in front of the Speaker's chair.
Speaker Meira Kumar on Friday expressed "great concern" over the House not functioning due to frequent disruptions, resulting in the loss of nearly 50 hours of sitting and gradually rendering the institution "irrelevant".
In order to ensure that the Lok Sabha is run smoothly during the winter session which will commence from Tuesday, Speaker Meira Kumar will meet leaders of all parties in the Lok Sabha at 0930 hrs on Tuesday in the Speaker's committee room in Parliament house.
Former telecom minister A Raja has urged Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar to return the Joint Parliamentary Committee report on the 2G spectrum scandal and resubmit it with his written statement.
Asked whether an all-party meeting will be called to discuss the issue, Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar said nothing was scheduled but she will be talking.
With the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Left sticking to their demand for a discussion on Foreign Direct Investment in retail under a rule that entails voting, former United Progressive Alliance ally Trinamool Congress on Wednesday said it would take a stand only after Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar took a decision, but ruled out voting in favour of the government.
Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar on Wednesday justified the sudden adjournment of Parliament, saying there was no option, as it was not running. She said the disturbances created by members of Parliament in the House amounted to betrayal of the people who have elected them.
National Democratic Alliance convenor Sharad Yadav on Thursday took a swipe at Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar claiming she was more "affectionate" towards the Treasury Benches, but showed little mercy towards the Opposition.
Reflecting escalation of confrontation with the government, the Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday decided to boycott meetings to be called by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath or Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar as it accused Congress President Sonia Gandhi of not allowing the opposition to air their views in Parliament.
Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar on Monday said she was hopeful the government and opposition parties find a middle ground over the 2G Spectrum controversy so that the budget session can be held without any interruptions. She addressed mediapersons after a third round of talks in New Delhi with government nominees, independent members of Parliament and leaders of the single member parties to ensure smooth functioning of the Parliament.
The Joint Parliamentary Committee on 2G spectrum scam has deferred its October 3 meeting, in view of the Lok Sabha Speaker's efforts to persuade Bharatiya Janata Party, members who have threatened to quit the panel alleging bias on his part, its chairman P C Chacko said on Saturday.
Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party and Left parties on Tuesday demanded separate debates with voting on Foreign Direct Investment in retail and related amendments in Foreign Exchange Management Act rules in Lok Sabha, but it was vociferously opposed by the government and rejected by Speaker Meira Kumar.
Speaker Meira Kumar plans massive celebrations of the 60th year of Indian Parliament, on May 13, 2012.
In a snub to Public Accounts Committee chairman Murli Manohar Joshi, Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar has returned the controversial draft report filed by him on the 2G Spectrum allocation. "The draft report on the 2G issue has been returned to the PAC Chairman", sources in Parliament's PAC said on Tuesday.
Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar has decided to give first-time Members of Parliament special attention in the House.
The resignation of 12 members of Parliament of various political parties from Telangana region in Andhra Pradesh has not been accepted by Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar.
Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar has convened an all-party meeting in New Delhi on Wednesday to ensure smooth functioning of the Budget Session of Parliament, which begins on February 21.
With Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar meeting leaders of political parties in Delhi on Thursday -- a routine drill before commencement of a month-long Lok Sabha session -- hectic political activities have begun behind the scenes.
Faced with frequent disruptions of Question Hour in Lok Sabha, Speaker Meira Kumar said on Friday that she would soon consult all political parties on conducting it in the evening.
Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar held talks with leaders of the opposition in her attempt to break the Parliament impasse on the 2G spectrum issue.Leaders of several parties including the Trinamool Congress, Shiv Sena, Akali Dal, Samajwadi Party, RJD and the National Conference did not attend the luncheon meeting called by the Speaker to find a solution to the deadlock.
A Bahujan Samaj Party member on Wednesday left the Lok Sabha as the national song was being played to mark the sine die adjournment of the Budget Session of Parliament, prompting an angry rebuke from Speaker Meira Kumar.
Rejecting Opposition demand for removal of P C Chacko as Joint Parliamentary Committee chairman, Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar on Thursday asked the panel chief and members to work out an agreeable solution to end the current "impasse" on its report on 2G Spectrum.
Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar on Friday assured Left members that she has sought a "factual note" from Delhi Police on the reported lathi-charge by them on MPs seeking removal of Deputy Chairman P J Kurien who isfacing charges in the Suryanelli rape case.
Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar is expected to take a decision on the resignation of 13 members of Parliament from Telangana region of Andhra Pradesh before the Monsoon session of Parliament that begins on August 1.
A day after a chaotic meeting of the Parliament's Public Accounts Committee, its Chairperson Murli Manohar Joshi along with National Democratic Alliance, All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, Biju Janata Dal and Left members are exploring the possibility of submitting the draft report on 2G scam to Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar before its term expires on Ffriday.
Against the backdrop of the opposition's demand for his removal, Joint Parliamentary Committee Chairman P C Chacko on Friday met Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar to explain his position on the issues concerning the controversial draft report on 2G scam. There were indications that the meeting of the JPC, which was cancelled on Thursday because of the death of a Lok Sabha member, could take place on May 2 or May 3 to adopt the report.
Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar on Friday sought to bring the curtain down on the turf war between the Public Accounts Committee and the Joint Parliamentary Committee, asking the two bodies to work in close cooperation and harmony with each other.
Ahead of the all-party meeting called by her on Wednesday, Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar on Tuesday said she would appeal to everyone to allow Parliament to function smoothly amid apprehensions that the Opposition could cause disruptions over chopper scam and other issues.
Acts of violence were witnessed outside Congress and RJD headquarters in Bihar.
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Speaker Meira Kumar on Wednesday accepted the resignation of expelled Congress Member of Parliament L Rajagopal, who had created a storm by using pepper spray in Lok Sabha to protest against the Telangana Bill.
In Parliament on Tuesday, the Bharatiya Janata Party urged Speaker Meira Kumar to suspend Question Hour to discuss activist Anna Hazare's indefinite fast against corruption.
Chief Justice of India Bhushan Ramkrishna Gavai spoke about Dr. B R Ambedkar's views on the supremacy of the Constitution and the need for an independent judiciary.
Cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar is likely to campaign for two Congress candidates in Lok Sabha polls in Bihar sources said on Thursday. "Sachin will campaign for former Delhi police chief Nikhil Kumar and Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar in the upcoming polls," a Congress leader close to Kumar said.
Sumitra Mahajan, senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader and one of the most experienced Parliamentarians, looks set to be the next Lok Sabha Speaker. According to sources, the 71-year-old leader from Madhya Pradesh has been sounded by party chief Rajnath Singh about the new assignment.
Bharatiya Janata Party and Communist Party of India on Monday came together to take on the government over JPC report on 2G scam, alleging that the "fraud" and "fabricated" document was tabled in Lok Sabha in violation of rules which has set a "bad precedent".
Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar had suggested the insertion of a new paragraph in the declaration on terrorism, which spoke about the seriousness of the threat of terrorism being faced by the human kind and the need to show solidarity and collective action. When Meira moved the above paragraph for the consideration of the Preparatory Committee, the first country that supported it was China.
'It does not understand economics. The entire focus of this government is skewed.'
The much-talked about Lokpal Bill could be introduced in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday with the government writing to the Speaker to waive off the two-day period required before introducing a bill.
Opposition and members of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam in the Joint Parliamentary Committee on 2G on Wednesday demanded the ouster of chairperson P C Chacko for being "highly partisan" and asked Speaker Meira Kumar to replace him with a new chief. The JPC has 30 members, including Chacko.
The plight of Sri Lankan Tamils on Monday found an echo in the Lok Sabha with All India Anna Dravida Munetra Kazhagam members seeking to embarrass a visiting Lankan Parliamentary delegation by raising slogans which was denounced by Speaker Meira Kumar.
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