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India: Rajya Sabha adjourned sine die, Parliament on verge of washout

DNA
New Delhi, Delhi, IndiaUpdated: Dec 16, 2016, 07:44 AM IST
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Parliament has been able to conduct virtually no business this winter session because of the deadlock over demonetisation. Photograph:(Getty)

The Rajya Sabha was adjourned sine die Friday, and the Lok Sabha was adjourned till noon because of the uproar over demonetisation. 

Today is the last day of the winter session of Parliament, and it seems unlikely that the Lok Sabha will be able to conduct much business when it convenes again. 

Parliament has able to conduct virtually no business this session because of the tussle between the Opposition and the government over demonetisation. The Opposition wants a vote on the matter; so far, the government has been able to stall them. 

Earlier today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to his party MPs at a BJP parliamentary party meet. He told them to go to their constituencies and talk to the people.

Urge the people to adopt the digital economy as a way of life, he said.

He added that earlier, the Opposition would join hands against the government over scams like 2G and Coalgate, but now the Opposition is united against the government's moves to curb black money and corruption.

And that for the Congress, the party is above the country but for the BJP, the country's interests are supreme.

After the meeting, Modi met a delegation of the opposition Congress, including Rahul Gandhi.

Gandhi, the vice-president of the Indian National Congress, had sought an appointment with PM Modi to present a list of farmers' demands collected during his extensive tour of the election-bound state of Uttar Pradesh.

Later today, Opposition parties plan on marching to Rashtrapati Bhavan at 12 pm to meet the President and register their protest against the government's demonetisation move.

The house also failed to transact any business Thursday, again because of the standoff between the government and the Opposition over demonetisation, and the AgustaWestland scam.

The government dared Congress President Sonia Gandhi Thursday to respond in Parliament to allegations against her party over the AgustaWestland scam, claiming the Opposition party is stalling both Houses as it has much to hide.

From the other side, Rahul Gandhi had Wednesday alleged that he had detailed information about "personal corruption" by Prime Minister Narendra Modi which he wanted to present in the Lok Sabha but was not being allowed to do so by the PM.

(A version of this article first appeared in DNA)