Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Thursday said the government was keeping an eye on the global Covid situation following the recent surge of cases in China and other parts of the world.  “In the wake of festive and new year season, states are advised to make sure people wear masks, use sanitisers and maintain social distancing along with increasing awareness for precautionary doses’, minister said in Lok Sabha.

Speaking in Lok Sabha, he called for increased vigilance and urged people to take precautionary measures like wearing masks and maintaining social distance. He further said that measures like random RT-PCR testing of international travellers in airports has begun. In Parliament today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Speakers of both Houses and several other MPs were seen wearing face masks.

Scenes of chaos played out in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday morning, with Opposition leaders staging a walkout as they continued to demand a discussion on China. A visibly perturbed RS Chairman, Jagdeep Dhankar told Opposition leaders that their behaviour would “haunt” them for ages.

Also read: Dr Anil Goyal: India Won’t Have Lockdown

He asked the Leader of the Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge to meet him in his chambers at 1 pm. Lok Sabha proceedings were adjourned within minutes, while Rajya Sabha proceedings continued amid chanting by Opposition MPs. Responding to the logjam, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi blamed the Congress for not cooperating with the chair, accusing the party of “losing land to China” when it was in power.

A day after his remarks on Bihar sparked outrage, Union Minister Piyush Goyal clarified that he had “no intention of insulting Bihar”. He went on to say that he was willing to withdraw his statement if it hurt sentiments.

On Tuesday, during RJD MP Manoj Jha’s intervention in a debate on the Appropriation Bill, Goyal interjected to say, “ inka bas chale, toh desh ko Bihar hi bana de” (If they have their way, they will turn the country into Bihar). Since then, party leaders have been demanding an apology from the Union Minister.