Parliament Session Prorogued

The government on Wednesday decided to get Parliament prorogued and to have a new brief session in the middle of February next year, scotching speculation about prolonging further the Monsoon session.

The Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairs, chaired by External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, met on Wednesday and decided to recommend to President that the session that concluded yesterday be prorogued.

Earlier at a press conference, Ravi dismissed reports that the government had decided to prorogue the session under pressure from Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee.

Ravi said it was not fair to drag the Speaker's name in the issue and added that he was "surprised" to see media reports in this regard.

"It was never the intention of the government to prolong the session," Minster of State for Parliamentary P K Bansal, who was also present, said.

Opposition parties charged the government with continuing the session till new year in order escape a no confidence motion because under rules a discussion on the same subject cannot be taken up twice in one session.

Government has already said that Parliament would be meeting in February ahead of the Lok Sabha polls to pass the vote on account