BJP using COVID-19 as excuse to cancel Question Hour: NCP  

The NCP on Thursday accused the BJP of using the COVID-19 pandemic as an excuse to cancel the Question Hour in the forthcoming monsoon session of Parliament to "hide its failures" on multiple fronts.

The NCP also called for using other electronic means to let parliamentarians question the Centre.

"The BJP is using the coronavirus pandemic as an excuse to cancel the Question Hour in the monsoon session of Parliament to hide its failures on multiple fronts," NCP spokesperson Mahesh Tapase alleged.

"The BJP should use other electronic media to enable the MPs to question the government," he added.

Another NCP spokesperson Clyde Crasto took a dig at the NDA constituent through his cartoon.

In the cartoon, a man with the BJP's poll symbol 'lotus' in place of his head can be seen running away from a question mark.

"No Question Hour in Parliament. You can run. You can't hide," reads the caption of the cartoon.

According to the notifications issued by the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha secretariats, there will be no Question Hour and private members' bills will not be taken up in the upcoming monsoon session of Parliament, while the Zero Hour will be restricted.

There will also be no breaks during the session, which will be held from September 14 to October 1, and both Houses will function on Saturdays and Sundays as well, they said.

In view of the COVID-19 pandemic, the session will be held in two shifts- 9 am to 1 pm and 3 pm to 7 pm.