Lok Sabha will begin functioning within one or two days: Speaker Sumitra Mahajan

Amidst the stalemate in Parliament over scrapping of high value currency notes, Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan expressed hope on Monday that the House will start functioning within a "day or two" as both the central government and opposition parties want debates and discussions to continue.

"I am trying. I am repeatedly requesting as well. I hope that it (Parliament) will function. When both the parties, the ruling party and the opposition, are ready for discussion, both want discussion, under which rule it has to be done, that has to be discussed. I think in the next one or two days, it will start (functioning)," she said.

Both Houses of Parliament have witnessed minimal work after the winter session began on November 16 after a united opposition continued to disrupt proceedings over hardships caused to the people due to demonetisation of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes.

Asked whether repeated adjournments amounted to snatching away of the rights of MPs who want to speak on important topics, Mahajan said she has been trying to conduct the Question Hour despite the noise and MPs' right to speak should not be taken away.

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"That is why I am trying. Whichever MP wants to speak, their right should not be snatched away from them. That is why you might have seen that I try to run the Question Hour session. I also do not like that there is so much noise in the House and I am trying to continue with it.

"Today also I tried as some people had requested me that they want to speak on important issues in the Zero Hour. I have been trying for the last two days. Those members who come to Parliament, their rights should not be snatched away," she told reporters outside Parliament.

She said that it is an "ongoing" process to reach out to the government and the opposition parties as they too want discussion and asserted that she is also willing to take the initiative to bring everybody together and talk to them.

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"Why not? I will definitely do that and I have been doing so as well. Attempts are going on. It is an ongoing process. At one point, I am quite sure that everybody will accept something...," she said.

Asked whether the decision on disallowing the adjournment motion would be revisited, Mahajan said, "Let us see. We want that House should run. For that let us see what happens. I will have to talk to both of them (government and opposition). Both of them are ready for discussion. Under which rule, all of them have to decide together. Not only one person can decide," she said.

FULL COVERAGE: WINTER SESSION OF PARLIAMENT