Restore Parliament to its original place, Government tells BJP

NEW DELHI: With Parliament paralysed for the eighth consecutive day, Government today accused the BJP of inflicting a "lacerating wound" on legislative process by shifting the chambers of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha to '11, Ashoka Road', the party headquarters.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal charged the Opposition party with wasting 71 per cent of the total time of the Monsoon session so far by frequent disruptions. The session concludes on Sept 7.

"Our request is please come (for transacting business). You had enough. You had shifted chambers of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha to 11, Ashoka Road.

"But founding fathers of the Republic have said that Parliament is the one which is housed in the majestic Parliament House....bring it back there at least now," Bansal told reporters.

He said that the BJP should "feel its tragic and disgraceful isolation" after its approach for repeated disruptions on the CAG report on coal allocation "inflicted a lacerating wound on Parliament and the legislative process".

Accusing the BJP of "outGoebelling Goebells" by its campaign on the issue of coal bloclks allocation, he said that the opposition party's demand for resignation of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was "nothing but brazen politics".

The ruling party was referring to Joseph Goebbels, Hitler's Propaganda Minister known for his view that if you repeat a lie a thousand times, it becomes the truth.

"Unfortunately, Parliament has come to such a pass ....Will of the minority is thrust upon majority....Here lies genesis of fascism", the Minister said.

Government sources said that in situations of repeated disruptions, it was for Presiding Officers to take decision about suspending members by "naming" them.

They, however, said that such powers are rarely used as the officers need cooperation from all parties on regular basis and wanted to avoid charges of being partisan.