New Delhi, August 16
After repeated boycotts and adjournments during the first phase of the Budget session, the Lok Sabha today conducted business in a peaceful manner after a three-week recess, though the issue of “tainted ministers” continued to cast its shadow on the proceedings.
Normalcy was restored in the House after the Opposition withdrew remarks against Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee and Leader of the House Pranab Mukherjee reciprocated the move by withdrawing his statement against the Opposition.
As soon as the House assembled today, the Speaker appealed to the members to help him conduct the business, after which BJP’s Santosh Gangwar, on behalf of party Deputy Leader in the Lok Sabha V. K. Malhotra, withdrew the statement the Treasury Benches said was against the Speaker. Mr Malhotra is currently in Athens for Olympics Games.
“My leader did not want to hurt anyone. He has withdrawn the statement,” Mr Gangwar said on Mr Malhotra’s behalf.
Then, Mr Mukherjee also withdrew his statement against the conduct of the Opposition made on the last day of the first phase of the Budget session.
Mr L. K. Advani and Ms Sonia Gandhi were also present at that time. Mr Chatterjee thanked both sides for restoring normalcy in the House with a remark that he had forgotten the issue and made an appeal to the members to maintain decorum in the House.
However, some members of the ruling parties as well as the Opposition started shouting at each other as soon as the issue of tainted ministers was raised. After Question Hour, the Speaker allowed Mr Sushil Kumar Modi to raise the issue of Minister of State for Food and
Consumer Affairs Mohammed Taslimuddin.
