Both houses of parliament witnessed huge uproar once again over the issue of demonetisation.
While Lok Sabha has been adjourned for the day, Rajya sabha resumed work after an adjournment till 2 pm.
Lok Sabha
The government and opposition locked horns after they failed to reach an agreement over the demonetisation debate, even as Speaker Sumitra Mahajan suggested the debate can be taken up without any rule.
As soon as the House assembled for the day, Leader of Congress Mallikarjun Kharge said the Opposition was ready to initiate the debate under Rule 184 instead of their original demand for it to be held under Rule 56, and the government must now agree to it.
"We have come down from Rule 56 to Rule 184. Now the government should also come down from Rule 193 and agree to Rule 184," he said.
The government has been maintaining that it was ready for a debate on demonetisation of Rs. 1000 and Rs. 500 notes under Rule 193 that does not entail voting. Mr Kharge was strongly supported by TMC leader Sudip Bandopadhyay, who said the treasury benches should not put pressurise the Opposition by sticking to a particular point.
"Kindly don't put pressure. You have brute majority in the House. But you are avoiding voting, we don't know why," he said.
CPI(M) MP P Karunakaran also supported Mr Kharge and Mr Bandopadhyay and wanted the debate to be held under Rule 184. However, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar said that Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) had given notice to hold the debate under Rule 193 and their wish should also be respected.
"Please don't take it as a prestige issue. Let's all start the debate. Let all parties come together to fight against the blackmoney," he said. Mr Kumar said they were ready for suspension of Question Hour and initiate debate if the opposition agreed to Rule 193.
Congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia countered Kumar and said the opposition too was against blackmoney and terrorism and ready to start debate under Rule 184.
The Speaker said she was ready to start the debate right away if the House agreed. The debate has been listed in today's list of business under Rule 193.
Ms Mahajan said notices were given by BJD and TRS and she cannot ignore them. "They also have their voice and we have to listen to them too," she said, rejecting the opposition demand.
Rajya Sabha
The Rajya Sabha again witnessed uproar on Monday over demonetisation, leading to its adjournment twice in the pre-lunch session.
The upper house was first adjourned till 12 noon as opposition parties protested against the way bank customers have to struggle to withdraw their own money.
Soon after the house met at 11, Opposition leader Gulam Nabi Azad said people were suffering because of the cash crunch and the overall situation was going from bad to worse.
"Thousands of people met us during the weekend. No money is being given to them. They are suffering," he said.
Azad strongly criticised the November 8 demonetisation and said ATMs even in Parliament premises were minus cash.
"It's an important issue and should be debated," Union Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu said.
As the din continued, Deputy chairman P.J. Kurien requested the agitating members to go back to their seats, saying the "only remedy (to the problem of demonetisation) is discussion".
IANS inputs
