Parliament paralysed over JPC, Rahul issues

New Delhi, March 21

The Parliament has been dysfunctional since the commencement of the second part of the budget session with the opposition pressing for a Joint Parliamentary Probe (JPC) into the Adani issue and the treasury benches demanding an apology from Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his statement in London.

Opposition MPs on Tuesday gave notices regarding demand for a JPC probe in both the houses. In the upper house, Congress MP Pramod Tiwari had moved suspension of business notice under rule 267.

In the lower House, Manish Tewari had moved his notice again seeking a discussion on freedom of speech of the MPs.

"Article 105 of the Constitution of India deals with the powers and privileges of the Houses of Parliament and of the members and committees thereof. Article 105(1) categorically lays down that "..there shall be freedom of speech in

Parliament", subject, of course, to the Constitutional text and rules made by Parliament itself. A necessary corollary of Article 105(1) is that such Rules must facilitate the specific right of expression granted to members of Parliament. It is this unfettered right to free expression in Parliament which forms the bedrock of democratic discussion and deliberation," the notice read.

On Monday too, the Houses could not function due to the uproar.