Parliament: Causing disruption is Oppn mantra, says Piyush Goyal

Goyal hit out at the Opposition for not attending a meeting called by the government to end the deadlock in the Rajya Sabha in the ongoing winter session of Parliament over the suspension of 12 MPs.

Union minister Piyush Goyal on Monday said Opposition parties do not want Parliament to run and causing disturbance and disruption is their mantra.

Union minister Piyush Goyal talks to reporters outside Parliament. (ANI Twitter)

Goyal further hit out at the Opposition for not attending a meeting called by the government to end the deadlock in the Rajya Sabha in the ongoing winter session of Parliament over the suspension of 12 MPs. He said the parliamentarians should realise their mistake and talk to Rajya Sabha Chairman Venkaiah Naidu.

Senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge has questioned the Centre's move to call only four parties whose members in the Rajya Sabha have been suspended instead of all Opposition parties and called it a ploy to divide the Opposition.

Earlier in the day, Opposition parties held a meeting over the government’s appeal for talks and the invitation being sent to leaders of only four parties and decided against the same.

Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut said, "We will not attend the meeting called by the government. We will demand the resignation of MoS Home Ajay Kumar Misra and revocation of suspension of 12 Opposition MPs in the Rajya Sabha. We will not let both Houses of Parliament function."

Meanwhile, Parliament continued to witness repeated adjournments as Opposition parties continued their protests on various issues, including suspension of 12 MPs and discussion on the Lakhimpur Kheri violence in which at least four farmers were killed and Union minister Ajay Kumar Mishra's son has been arrested. The Opposition is demanding the resignation of Mishra.