Vice President, Lok Sabha Speaker Block Parliamentary Panel Virtual Meets

Opposition parties have protested the move since the cabinet and the judiciary have been functioning virtually because of the pandemic.

Rejecting calls from the opposition as well as some parties that support Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government, Vice President Venkaiah Naidu and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla have refused to allow parliamentary committees to function virtually because of the pandemic. A wasteful new Parliament building is being constructed in the midst of a national catastrophe, and it is considered an “essential service”. But a simple rule cannot be changed to allow virtual meetings of Standing Committees.Come on Speaker Sir, Chairman Garu! pic.twitter.com/kfpQ1wJphi With legislative work at a standstill, the presiding officers of the two houses of parliament have rejected requests to allow virtual meetings, citing technicalities and confidentiality clauses. They suggested that once the situation returns to normal, physical meetings can take place - otherwise, it will take for an amendment in the rules, a note from the Rajya Sabha secretariat said. The move has upset opposition parties which have questioned how the government can carry on the construction of a new parliament building as an essential activity but has ruled that legislative oversight is not essential.