The National Herald issue cast its shadow over Lok Sabha today also with Congress members continuously creating uproar in the midst of which the House conducted some business, including passage of a bill and discussion on the drought situation.
Even as the Congress members raised slogans in the Well and were supported by Trinamool Congress, the House took up the Question Hour, the Zero Hour and the legislative business like discussion and passage of The Indian Trusts (Amendment) Bill, 2015.
Amid the din, the House also took up the resumed discussion on the drought and farmers' suicide in which a number of members from parties like Samajwadi Party, BJD, RJD, TRS, AIADMK, YSRCP besides BJP and its allies SAD, Shiv Sena and TDP participated.
Leader of Congress Mallikarjun Kharge accused treasury benches of bull-dozing the opposition and said it is not right to take up or pass any bill when the House is not in order.
"Government is suppressing, depressing and disregarding the opposition. Such attitude is wrong. We want your (Chair) protection. The Bill should not be passed. Let them (Government) first take action against V K Singh, Rajasthan Chief Minister, Shivraj Singh Chouhan," Kharge said.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Venkaiah Naidu, however, said Parliament cannot go on like this as the people of the country wanted legislation.
Attacking Congress, he said, "30 people are not allowing the House to run. They want the democracy to fail. They are obstructing progress. They are exposed. They are frustrated."
He said Congress had not been able to come to terms with its defeat in the Lok Sabha polls and BJP's massive win under Modi.
Referring to National Herald case, he said the case was filed when the UPA was in power.
Earlier, Kharge also attacked Union Minister V K Singh, who was present in the House, over his "dog" remark.
As Singh kept smiling, Kharge intensified his attack and demanded that the minister be immediately sacked for his "dog" remark after the killing of two Dalit children in Haryana.
Naidu defended his colleague, saying a court had also rejected the charge against him and insisted that the government was "proud" of all its ministers for doing an "excellent" job.
Saugata Roy (TMC) used his time in Zero Hour to support Congress and target the government, inviting a sharp rebuke from Speaker Sumitra Mahajan.
"I fully support the contention of Congress that the government is behaving in a vincdictive way. The Prime Minister must respond," he said.
After the Speaker disallowed him from speaking, TMC members staged a walkout.
