Lok Sabha to break for a four-day holiday this weekend

New Delhi: Lok Sabha will have a four-day holiday starting this weekend, with the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) on Wednesday deciding to have a holiday on 12 December, besides Tuesday which has already been declared a holiday on account of Eid-e-Milad-un Nabi. [caption id=“attachment_3144216” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational image. PTI[/caption] Leaders of all major parties, who attended the BAC meeting held in Speaker Sumitra Mahajan’s chamber, raised the issue of declaring a holiday on Monday as in some southern states the Prophet’s birthday was being observed on Monday. After the leaders of Congress, BJP, NCP, TMC and others raised the demand, it was unanimously decided to have a holiday on 12 December as well. The BAC also decided to allocate four hours for the discussion and voting on Second Supplementary Demands for Grants (General) for 2016-17 and Demands for Excess Grants (General) for 2013-14, which are likely to be taken up on Thursday. The Committee also decided to allocate three hours for consideration and passage of the Right of Persons with Disabilities Bill, 2014, once it is passed by the Rajya Sabha. Earlier in the Lok Sabha also, Opposition members had sought a holiday on 12 December. Sudip Bandopadhyay (TMC) had raised the issue after the House met at noon as he pointed out that 13 December has been officially declared a holiday for Milad-un Nabi, the Prophet’s birthday. Leader of Congress in Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge also supported this. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar said the matter can be discussed at the BAC meeting. He also used the occasion to urge the opposition members, who were protesting in the Well demanding a debate on demonetisation under a rule entailing voting, to start a debate on Wednesday, pointing out that the Session will end on 16 December.