Congress spokesperson Raashid Alvi said the stalemate in parliament was caused by intransigence of the opposition.
Both Alvi and Sitharaman, however, agreed that disruptions sent a "wrong" message to the people.
Alvi said the principle of "no work, no pay" cannot be applied across the board as normally a few MPs disrupt the proceedings.
"It may be possible to cut salaries of MPs who go near the podium of presiding officers to raise their issues," he said.
Communist Party of India-Marxist leader Nilotpal Basu said the issue of no work, no pay cannot be discussed without understanding constraints of parliament functioning.