Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday appealed to Opposition members to allow Parliament to function in the “national interest” as Minister of State Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti had apologised for her remarks.
But an unrelenting Opposition paralysed the Rajya Sabha for the third day running, demanding the Minister’s dismissal and accusing her of insulting the Constitution with her remarks. Members boycotted the proceedings for the greater part of the day in the Lok Sabha.
Intervening in the Rajya Sabha during Zero Hour, Mr. Modi said he had “strongly disapproved” of Ms. Jyoti’s comments at the BJP Parliamentary Party meeting even before the House had taken up the matter.
“The Minister is new and she has come to Parliament for the first time. We are aware of her background . She has already apologised. There is a message in this for everyone about the dos and don’ts,” Mr. Modi said.
Anand Sharma (Congress) said, “the PM’s words are not adequate. You can call it a deadlock. It is government’s responsibility to break this.”
The Lok Sabha also witnessed exchanges between the Opposition and Speaker Sumitra Mahajan when Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge complained that the Speaker was not allowing his adjournment motion.
