In Ending Stalemate In Lok Sabha, Rajnath Singh’s Role

New Delhi:

The Lok Sabha, which saw repeated adjournments due to the disruption by opposition parties in the past few days, had not resumed the debate on the President’s Budget session speech till Monday even as the Rajya Sabha had concluded the debate.

Opposition parties had insisted that there should first be a discussion on the ongoing farmers’ protest against the contentious agricultural laws, resulting in week-long stand-off in the lower house of parliament.

There was no breakthrough despite Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi reaching out to the opposition parties last Friday. That’s when government relied on Union Minister and senior parliamentarian Rajnath Singh.

Sources told NDTV that the stalemate in the Lok Sabha came to an end after Mr Singh, who is also the Deputy Leader Of Lok Sabha, reached out to opposition parties on Monday morning.

Mr Singh urged the opposition to cooperate for the smooth functioning of the Lok Sabha so that the debate on motion of thanks on President’s speech can be resumed.

“After Rajnath Singh reached out to the Congress leaders on Monday morning, like-minded opposition parties met in the afternoon during which the government’s proposal was discussed. The government has agreed to allot time to discuss farmers’ protest post the debate on motion of thanks. In the meeting, ppposition parties unanimously decided to cooperate with the proceedings and resume the debate,” a senior Congress leader told NDTV.

Speaking in the House after it convened at 5 pm, Mr Singh said the tradition of thanking the President has been continuing for long and it should not be broken in a healthy democracy.

Leader of Opposition Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury of the Congress too said that the practice of debate on the motion of thanks, started in 1921, has been continuing for 100 years.

The debate on the motion of thanks is expected to conclude on Wednesday Prime Minister Narendra Modi will speak in the Lok Sabha.