No progress

Both the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha were adjourned in the afternoon on Wednesday, despite the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Reports indicate that the Prime Minister was expected to address the house on his government’s decision to demonetise the Rs 500 and 1000 currency notes.  Since the start of the Winter Session, both the ruling coalition and the opposition have disrupted both houses of Parliament. The Opposition has explicitly demanded that the Prime Minister makes a statement in the House. Clearly, neither side is willing to back down. Reports indicate that the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress had issued whips to party legislators in both houses of Parliament, asking them to be present for the remainder of the Winter Session. Allied with the ruckus created by the demonetisation issue, Opposition members, led by the Congress, had earlier also sought a  discussion on the alleged scam in Arunachal Pradesh involving Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju. With two more days left in the Winter Session of Parliament, time is of the essence. This session has been a total waste of the exchequer’s money.  There seems to be a unanimous public consensus that the House will be unable to pass, introduce or even debate crucial pieces of legislation due to the deadlock over demonetisation.  The least our MPs can do is to hold productive discussions on the subject.