The deadlock in Parliament over Foreign Direct Investment in retail and several other issues continued for the ninth day on Friday with the opposition and some members of United Progressive Alliance partner Trinamool Congress creating uproar in both Houses to press for their demands. Both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha were adjourned minutes after they met for the day.
In a sudden turn of events, the Centre has decided to put on hold the controversial decision about FDI in retail sector, in an apparent bid to break the Parliament logjam. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, whose party Trinamool Congress is strongly opposed to the decision, claimed on Saturday that Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee spoke to her and told her that the FDI decision has been "suspended".
Political circles in the national capital are agog with the speculation that United Progressive Alliance government wants to delink the Budget Session of Parliament from the 2G spectrum logjam.
With proceedings in Parliament being disrupted, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday discussed ways to resolve the logjam over Walmart lobbying and quota in promotions issues.
Anguished over the stalemate in Parliament over demand of Joint Parliamentary Committee into 2G Spectrum scam, Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar on Friday said she would "do anything" to ensure that it does not spill over to the budget session.
Uttam Ghosh/Rediff.com offers his unique perspective on the logjam in Parliament.
The video, which has been compiled using clips from RSTV, comprises statements made by the opposition MPs in the Upper House, with the words "farmer" and "Pegasus" in the opening lines.
May issued a statement to indicate the government's next steps a day after the House of Commons once again failed to agree on any specific alternative to her controversial EU divorce bill.
The government is planning a special Parliament session in mid January next year for the Lokpal Bill as the Bharatiya Janata Party has a majority in the Rajya Sabha, sources told rediff.com.
The meeting came against the backdrop of members of DMK and Trinamool Congress joining opposition in demanding rollback and a discussion in Parliament under an adjournment motion.
Despite the Bharatiya Janata Party on Saturday indicating that it would continue to obstruct the Parliament to demand Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's resignation over Comptroller and Auditor General's report on coal block allocations, the government is likely to make an attempt on Monday to convene an all-party meet to end the logjam.
Addressing a press conference, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said efforts are being made since the last few days that a 'formula' or middle path is found with both the Opposition and the government relenting.
The question being tossed around is this: Is there a 'method in the madness' being seen in Parliament? Did the Congress choose to take the decision knowing its consequences? asks Neerja Chowdhury.
The trend of disruption of Parliament proceedings over the demonetisation issue is likely to continue on Thursday with the Opposition parties insisting on their demand for discussion with voting rule in Lok Sabha and an apology by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the Rajya Sabha.
The trend of disruption of Parliament proceedings over the demonetisation issue is likely to continue on Wednesday with the Opposition parties insisting on their demand for discussion with voting rule in Lok Sabha and an apology by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the Rajya Sabha.
The government on Tuesday scotched speculation that the monsoon Session of Parliament will be curtailed and both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha will adjourn sine die.
The government on Monday achieved a breakthrough in the logjam in Parliament with the opposition agreeing to allow financial business to be taken up on Tuesday.
The trend of disruption of Parliament proceedings over the demonetisation issue is likely to continue on Monday with the Opposition parties insisting on their demand for discussion with voting rule in Lok Sabha and an apology by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the Rajya Sabha.
The panel suggested inclusion of alcohol and petroleum products in GST, as is being demanded by the Congress.
Both the Houses of Parliament were adjourned till noon on Monday following uproar over various charges of corruption by members of the Opposition and Treasury benches.As soon as Speaker Meira Kumar read out obituary references in the Lok Sabha, Opposition members trooped into the well, to demand a Joint Parliamentary Committee probe in the alleged irregularities in 2G spectrum allocation.Congress members were also seen in the aisles waving placards.
Stepping back to break the logjam in Parliament, the government on Wednesday put the controversial decision on foreign direct investment in retail on the backburner till a consensus is evolved, a proposal the entire opposition and the dissenting allies accepted without reservation.
Catch all the live debates from Parliament as the winter session begins
Catch all the live debates from Parliament as the winter session begins
Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Saturday said he does not see a 'middle path' to end the logjam in Parliament as the Opposition's demand for a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe into the Adani issue was 'non-negotiable' and the question of an apology over Rahul Gandhi's remarks in the United Kingdom does not arise.
The winter session of Parliament was practically lost in pandemonium on Friday over the demand for a joint parliamentary committee probe into the 2G spectrum issue, with the penultimate day also being paralysed due the unrelenting attitude of both the government and the opposition.The logjam over the demand for JPC probe stalled both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha for the 21st consecutive working day and both the Houses had to be adjourned till Monday.
With the Opposition adamant on the cancellation of coal blocks, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Friday deliberated with the party top brass in the midst of the logjam in Parliament. Coal Minister Sriprakash Jaiswal was also called for the Congress Core Committee meeting and so were Law Minister Salman Khurshid and Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal.
Will the Monsoon Session of Parliament be adjourned sine die on Monday? That's the buzz in the Central Hall of Parliament on Friday, with many members of Parliament from both the Bhartiya Janata Party and the Congress, privately saying that the situation was getting out of control with the continued stalemate in the first week of the session.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has written to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to allow him to speak in the house over his democracy remarks made in London, sources said on Monday.
Ending a weeklong logjam, Rajya Sabha on Monday resumed normal functioning during the Question Hour after government and opposition leaders agreed to a compromise formula to end protests over Union Minister Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti's controversial remarks.
Tharoor put the blame for the logjam in Parliament on BJP and accused the saffron party of reducing the "temple of democracy to a rubber stamp for its agenda or worse, a notice board to announce its unilateral decisions".
MP MP Baijayant Jay Panda admitted that this is nothing compared to the huge amount of money that has been wasted.
The government engineered a victory of sorts when it succeeded in neutralising the Samajwadi party, the Bahujan Samajwadi Party, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the Trinamool Congress in stacking up the numbers on the FDI issue, says Renu Mittal.
Information and Broadcasting minister Ambika Soni spoke to rediff.com's Sheela Bhatt briefly on the current logjam in Parliament over the government's decision allowing 51 per cent foreign direct investment in multi-brand retail trade.
Proceedings in both Houses of Parliament remain disrupted from day one of the Monsoon session with the opposition parties demanding a statement by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the Manipur violence before a discussion.
Catch all the action from the Monsoon session of Parliament, LIVE
Breaking the logjam in their ties, India and Pakistan on Wednesday announced that they have decided to engage in a "comprehensive" dialogue that will include peace and security and Jammu and Kashmir.
He said the prime minister has received global recognition and India was rising under his leadership.
Modi was severe in his criticism of the opposition amid the continuing logjam in Parliament and also sounded confident of the ruling dispensation retaining power at the Centre for a third term after the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
The Congress has, however, countered this saying someone who is not an MP of Rajya Sabha cannot be called to the House and there cannot be any discussion/reflection on or about an MP of Lok Sabha.
A tense standoff continued in Pakistan on Saturday as overnight talks between the government and protesters demanding Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's resignation made little headway in breaking the political logjam.
