Inside, fewer MPs, less noise and a little work

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The House functioned smoothly. It listed its business for the day and passed the Railways Appropriations Bill 2015. “Today at least, the House is running smooth,” the BJP’s Jagadambika Pal said.

Attendance was, however, thin. At one stage, only one MP, Mehbooba Mufti, sat in the Opposition benches while even the BJP had only 43 present. This was after Left, SP and RJD MPs had walked out, some chanting slogans such as “Take back suspension”.

During zero hour, AIADMK’s P Venugopal had wanted to speak on the suspension but the Speaker did not allow him. The BJD’s Tathagata Satpathy spoke on the suspension at the end of a submission on the flood situation in Odisha. “I would request that while the government is troubled with the proceedings in the House and while we admire your perseverance… we would request you to decrease the punishment that you have meted out to the Opposition,” he said.

The Andhra Pradesh and Telangana MPs were allowed to present their issues and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Venkaiah Naidu assured them that the government would look into these.

In the Rajya Sabha, proceedings were washed out for the day when Congress members started sloganeering and rushing to the well even before the laying of papers had been completed. Trinamool, Left and SP members stood up in solidarity without joining the Congress MPs in the well.