The Lok Sabha on Monday approved two bills in the midst of Opposition protests over the Pegasus snooping controversy and farm laws, as the government got down to business after a near-complete wash-out of the first week of Parliament’s Monsoon Session.
 
In the evening, top Opposition parties such as the Congress, the Trinamool Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party boycotted a meeting called by Rajya Sabha leader and Union minister Piyush Goyal to end the stalemate.
 
Congress chief whip in the Rajya Sabha Jairam Ramesh announced that “the entire Opposition is united” and that their two key demands are: “a discussion on Pegasus snooping issue in the presence of Prime Minister or home minister; and a Supreme Court-monitored inquiry into the scandal.” 
 
Trinamool Congress’s Rajya Sabha floor leader Derek O’Brien tweeted Jairam’s demands and said, “We need this in #Parliament. Not green tea at @PiyushGoyal office. Thanks. But no thanks.”
 
The indication from the opposition camp is that the impasse is unlikely to get resolved soon.
 
In the Lok Sabha, many Opposition MPs objected to the motion to pass the Factoring Regulation Act (Amendment) bill, claiming that the House is not in order.
 
Parliamentary affairs minister Pralhad Joshi backed the motion. “Five days have gone to waste. I appeal to all of you to participate in the discussion.
 
This is a very important bill. We are ready to discuss your issues as well,” Joshi said, underlining that time was allotted for the bill in the Business Advisory Committee. Congress floor leader Adhir Chowdhury later tweeted, “
 
In a brazen and egregious manner govt has been bulldozing the bills without discussion. When the house is not in order govt is passing the bills, thus depriving elected members from their constitutional right of the participation and ventilation of the public concern.”
 
After that bill was passed in 12 minutes, another, the National Institute of Food Technology Entrepreneurship and Management Bill, piloted by the new food processing minister Pashupati Paras, was brought for passage.
 
Amidst the din and furious protests by Opposition MPs, many of whom trooped to the well of the House, the bill was passed in seven minutes.
 
Former Lok Sabha secretary general P Sreedharan maintained that the passage of bills in din is not unprecedented. “But it is not desirable. Parliament must debate, discuss before passing a bill. In 2008, eight bills were passed in 17 minutes amid din. But we should not rely upon the wrong precedence of the past.”
 
Both Houses faced repeated disruptions. In the Rajya Sabha, chairman Venkaiah Naidu expressed deep anguish at the continuous disruptions and said, “Members are being denied their opportunity. So, we are becoming helpless day by day.
 
Important issues such as need for time-bound completion of Covid vaccination, unemployment caused due to pandemic, problems of students availing online education, hike in petroleum prices and essential commodities… could not be discussed because of this situation.”