For the second time in less than two weeks, BJP president L.K. Advani today pulled up party MPs for being absent from Parliament and directed the parliamentary party to reprimand them in writing. Advani was particularly irked after a number of MPs did not turn up for elections to various boards, such as the Tea Board, recently. Some of them have not been turning up for the BJP parliamentary party meeting either.MPs will be asked in writing to be regular in attending both Parliament and parliamentary party meetings and ensure that they turn up for voting at all times, party sources said.But with barely a week left of the Winter Session, the absenteeism is likely to continue if not grow, party leaders fear. The current absenteeism is part of a more generalised apathy that is visible inside Parliament this session. Unlike the Monsoon/Budget Session when the BJP disrupted proceedings on a daily basis, opposition members have been remarkably well-behaved this time. Barring the Laloo-Paswan spat, even Zero Hours passed off without any incident last week.However, the BJP benches are often half empty even in the pre-lunch hour and even leader of Opposition L.K. Advani has been fairly irregular in attending the House.BJP parliamentary party meeting held this morning also discussed the impending Patents Bill. Arun Jaitley briefed MPs on the issue. Talking to reporters later, Parliamentary party spokesman V.K. Malhotra said the government had not yet listed the Bill for discussion. Reiterating the BJP’s sustained criticism of the government for the ‘‘lack of legislative business’’ this session, Malhotra said the party would oppose any move to bring in the Bill through an ordinance after the session was over.
