New Delhi: As uncertainty looms large over the functioning of Parliament, MPs from various parties Thursday urged the Union government to curtail the duration of both Houses to prevent spread of novel coronavirus.
MPs from Congress, Trinamool Congress and other opposition parties have been demanding early adjournment of the budget session in view of corona scare, which has been declared pandemic by the World Health Organisation.
Congress MP Anand Sharma Thursday said that under the Epidemic Act the government has taken a slew of measures to prevent the spread of virus.
“The Union government has evoked the Epidemic Act and asked the citizens above 65 to stay indoors. I urged the PM to respect and not violate the law by insisting the farcical Parliament session to continue. He himself his ministers and other leaders above 65 years would be violators of the law. Thousands of people come here everyday,” said Sharma.
He also said there is no big business left except Finance Bill. The government should adjourn the House after the passing of Bill.
Meanwhile, BJD MP Prashanta Nanda also advocated for the shutting of Parliament.
He said that the government should consider about shutting of the House and the MPs should visit their constituencies and create awareness about coronavirus among the people.
“Everything has closed. We don’t know what will happen next week in the country,” said Nanda.
However, the Prime Minister and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Prahalad Joshi had earlier cleared the intention of the government to run the House till April 3, as scheduled. The Minister had said in the BJP Parliamentary party meeting that the MPs should create awareness in their constituencies about the COVID-19.
