Parliament's monsoon session live updates: Govt afraid of facing questions on China border situation, says Congress

Lok Sabha on Monday adopted a motion to do away with Question Hour and private members' business during the Monsoon session, which is being held amid the coronavirus pandemic. Criticising the move, the opposition led by the Congress said that Question Hour is the "golden hour of the House". Leader of the Congress in Lok Sabha, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, said the argument and rationale that has been put forth by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi is far from convincing.

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Monday asked members to remain seated while speaking in the House and follow social distancing norms in view of the "extraordinary situation" amid the Covid-19 pandemic. The 18-day monsoon session of Parliament began on Monday during which Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha will sit in shifts without any break. While on the first day of the session on Monday, Lok Sabha is sitting in the morning from 9 am to 1 pm, Rajya Sabha is sitting in the evening starting at 3 pm. On the rest of the days, Rajya Sabha will sit for four hours in the morning and Lok Sabha in the evening. It is for the first time in the history that both the Houses are being utilised for the convenience and safety of the members, Birla said, adding even some members have been allotted seats in visitors' gallery.

The question of support for the armed forces is "beyond debate" said Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Monday, after Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the members of Parliament would give "an unequivocal message" of the country stands with the soldiers. "There is no question about that -- of course we support our soldiers at the border but our government is accountable to Parliament. To tell us what is happening," Tharoor told reporters here.

National Conference President Farooq Abdullah on Monday attended the Monsoon Session of Parliament for the first time after a gap of more than a year since the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir. Abdullah was among the various Jammu and Kashmir leaders who claimed to have been put into pre-emptive detention in the erstwhile state after the Centre on August 5 last year abrogated Article 370 which gave special status to the region.