Conversion row in Parliament: As it happened on Monday

With just two days remaining in the ongoing Winter Session of Parliament, the fate of the government's economic reform agenda, particularly the Insurance Bill, hangs in the balance.

Conversion row in Parliament: As it happened on Monday

4:57 pm Congress stages walkout in Lok Sabha, angry over rejection of its demand for PM's reply on conversion issue.

3:48 pm: Lok Sabha adjourned after Left member A Sampath falls sick during protest over conversion issue.

3:45 pm: Pappu Yadav denies throwing paper at the Deputy Speaker, says he didn't even go near Thambidurai.

3:35 pm: Lok Sabha adjourned till 4 pm after Left member A Sampath falls sick during protest over conversion issue.

3:15 pm: RJD MP Pappu Yadav allegedly throws paper at Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker M Thambidurai.

3:05 pm: Upper House adjourned for the day as Opposition continued to create ruckus over various issues.

2:05 pm: Opposition continues to protest against the government, Chair adjourns the Upper House till 3 pm.

2:02 pm: The Lok Sabha adjourns till 2.20 pm following a protest by opposition leaders on the issue of religious conversions.

2:00 pm: Rajya Sabha reconvenes.

1:30 pm: Government does not support conversion or re-conversion, says Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu in Lok Sabha.

12:28 pm: Chairman again adjourns Rajya Sabha till 2 pm as Opposition continues to creates uproar over various issues. 

12:20 pm: The Upper House reconvenes. 

12:02 pm: Opposition continues to create uproar over religious conversion and other issues, Chairman Hamid Ansari adjourns the Upper House for 15 minutes. 

12:00: Rajya Sabha reconvenes.

11:20 am: Opposition members in the Rajya Sabha protest over conversion row​, Dy Chairman PJ Kurien adjourns House till noon.

11:17 am: Finance Minister and Rajya Sabha member Arun Jaitley categorically rejects demand of debate on blackmoney issue. SP and Left had demanded a discussion on the contentious issue.

11:15 am: PM Narendra Modi likely to give a statement on religious conversion issue, say reports.

11:10 am: BSP supremo Mayawati condemns RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat's statement on conversion issue. Earlier, Bhagwat had said: "Those involved (the converts) were Hindus earlier and were converted. We were not involved in their conversion, but are just bringing them back home. It's a ghar waapsi (home coming) programme,"

11:05 am: Rajya Sabha adopts resolution condemning bail to 2008 Mumbai attacks accused Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi; expresses concern over Pakistan's "apathetic attitude".

11:00 am: Both Houses of Parliament convene for the day. 

10:54 am: CPI leader D Raja demands PM Modi's statement on religious conversion issue, which has rocked the Parliament for several days.

10:50 am: Reports say that Left has gives notice for suspension of business in the Upper House over RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat's statement on conversion issue.

10:45 am: TMC protests against Finance Minister Arun Jaitley infront of Mahatma Gandhi's statue in Parliament.

10:25 am: Left leader and Rajya Sabha member lambasts BJP's demand of an anti-conversion. He says there is no need for such a law as the Constitution and law already mentions that forceful conversion is punishable.

10:30 am: JDU, Trinamool Congress, INLD, RJD and Samajwadi Party are protesting against the NDA government as PM Narendra Modi is misleading the people on  blackmoney issue, says SP leader Ram Gpal Yadav.

10:20 am: Ahead of the Parliament session, PM Narendra Modi is meeting with senior BJP leaders Venkaiah Naidu, Sushma Swaraj, Rajnath Singh and Arun Jaitley to discuss on the Insurance and Coal Bills. Reports say that the PM along with his Cabinet ministers is also deliberating on religious conversions row, which has rocked the Rajya Sabha in the ongoing Winter session.

With just two days remaining in the ongoing Winter Session of Parliament, the fate of the government's economic reform agenda, particularly the Insurance Bill, hangs in the balance with some opposition parties continuing to disrupt the Upper House over the religious conversion issue.

The Opposition in Rajya Sabha, where the Narendra Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party is in minority, has been at the forefront staging strong protests against the government over issues like religious conversion and the remarks made by Sadhvi Niranjan and Sakashi Maharaj.

The Trinamool Congress, Left and the Congress have been repeatedly attacking the Central government, who are insisting that Prime Minister Narendra Modi make a statement in the house on conversions.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu on Sunday appealed to opposition parties to allow the Rajya Sabha to function to pass important bills.

The Union Minister alleged that by obstructing the business of the house for political reasons, the opposition was hurting national and people's interests.

The Insurance Bill, which provides for raising FDI cap from 26 percent to 49 percent, could not be taken up in the Rajya Sabha due to disruptions even though it was listed on four days last week.

Proceedings of the Rajya Sabha, during the entire last week, were washed out as opposition stalled the House by pressing the demand that Prime Minister Narendra Modi reply to a debate on religious conversions. The Coal Bill, which will pave the way for auctioning of mines de-allocated by the Supreme Court, also remained pending in the House. The Lok Sabha has already passed it.

During this period, the Lok Sabha passed 17 bills as against 11 by the Upper House. The Lok Sabha has lost only 2 hours and 10 minutes so far due to interruptions. The House however, worked overtime on eight days for a total additional duration of 8 hours 36 minutes with a net gain of additional working hours of 6 hours 26 minutes. The Rajya Sabha, on the other hand, witnessed interruptions during 15 of the 19 sittings, losing 44 hours and 9 minutes.

However, members of the Upper House worked overtime on seven days making up 8 hours 46 minutes. The net loss of time on account of interruptions in the Rajya Sabha has been 35 hours 38 minutes. The Lok Sabha has already set up a record in terms of the number of bills passed and productivity vis-à-vis the last Budget Session of this year and the Winter Session of last year.