Coronavirus: Parliament to adjourn 'soon'

Amid several states announcing lock-down in view of COVID-19, the ongoing Budget session of Parliament will be adjourned "soon" after passing the Finance Bill.

Sources said government wants to quickly go through the Finance Bill and conclude the proceedings regarding Budget.

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However, the sources refused to confirm whether Parliament will be adjourned on Monday itself after passing the Finance Bill in Lok Sabha. Even if the Rajya Sabha does not clear the Finance Bill, it will come into effect as it is a money Bill.

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Though Prime Minister Narendra Modi had insisted people to practice social distancing, his government was not keen to adjourn Parliament. Modi himself told BJP Parliamentary Party meeting last week that there is no plan to adjourn the House, which was echoed by his ministers in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. The ministers had said that a wrong message will go to the nation and people's confidence will be shattered if Parliament is adjourned.

However, sources said the episode involving Bollywood singer Kanika Kapoor has prompted a rethink. BJP MP Dushyant Singh had attended a party thrown by Kapoor, who tested positive for COVID-19, and his presence in Parliament as well as a breakfast meeting with President Ram Nath Kovind triggered alarm bells in the establishment.

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Several MPs, who interacted with Singh, went on self quarantine after the Kapoor episode came out.

On Sunday, Trinamool Congress floor leaders Sudip Bandyopadyay (Lok Sabha) and Derek O'Brien (Rajya Sabha) had written a joint letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu asking them to adjourn both the Houses on Monday itself.