Row over ‘taint’ persists, Houses prorogued

The first Parliament session of the United Progressive Alliance Government today ended on a bitter note with both the Houses, rather unconve...

The first Parliament session of the United Progressive Alliance Government today ended on a bitter note with both the Houses, rather unconventionally, passing the motion of thanks on President’s address without debating it, as the Opposition stuck to its guns that ‘tainted’ ministers in the government be removed first.

Even as the Opposition sat through the motion with a voice vote, the members kept raising the issue intermittently in both the Houses.

Slogans like Daagi mantri isteefa do (tainted ministers resign) and Daagi mantri ki sarkar nahin chalegi (Government with tainted ministers cannot function)’’ rent the air in both the Houses.

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The Lok Sabha was adjourned by Speaker Somnath Chatterjee, bringing to an end the first nine-day session of the new House ahead of the budget session likely to begin this month-end or the first week of July.

Before adjourning the Rajya Sabha, Chairman Bhairon Singh Shekhawat asked members to introspect how to resolve conflicts and overcome ‘‘situations of obstructions and interruptions’’.

Lamenting that discussion on President’s address could not take place despite his best attempts, the chairman reminded the members that they had an obligation to strengthen democracy and uphold the dignity of the House.

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