Question hour absentees down to five on Monday

The question hour in Lok Sabha went off smoothly on Monday with just five MPs, who had given notice to ask questions, remaining absent.

The question hour in Lok Sabha went off smoothly on Monday with just five MPs, who had given notice to ask questions, remaining absent. Proceedings during question hour had collapsed on Monday last week because of absentee members.

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Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MPs G M Siddeshwara, Sudarshan Bhagat and Sumitra Mahajan, Congress MP from Andhra Pradesh Sarvey Sathyanarayana and AIADMK MP M Thambidurai were the MPs who were absent as Speaker Meira Kumar invited members to ask questions.

Congress MP from Kerala K Sudhakaran was also not present but his name was not mentioned in the list of questions for oral answers. The total questions listed for oral answers were 20 out of which the house could consider only six.

Speaker Meira Kumar said Sumitra Mahajan had informed her that she would not be able to attend the question hour Monday.

Congress MPs P T Thomas, Shruti Choudhary and Madhu Goud Yashki and Kerala Congress MP Jose K. Mani, who were criticised for not being present in the house last Monday, were present in the house during question hour this time.

However, another Congress MP Anto Antony came late while BJP MP Varun Gandhi was absent.

A total of 34 MPs with questions listed against their names were not in the house last Monday and question hour virtually collapsed because of the missing members.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi had sought an explanation from party MPs on their absence from the Lok Sabha last Monday.

Speaker Meira Kumar and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal had also expressed concern over the state of the question hour.