As many as nine Opposition party legislators on Tuesday told Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan that the treasury benches displayed “utter disregard” for rules and the Constitution in the conduct of the Lower House during the Budget Session of Parliament. The MPs’ claims came in response to a letter Mahajan sent legislators, seeking their cooperation for smooth conduct of the House.

The Budget Session was the least productive since 2000, according to PRS Legislative Research, with the Lok Sabha working for 21% of the scheduled time and the Rajya Sabha for 27%. The Monsoon Session of Parliament begins on Wednesday.

In their Tuesday letter, the Opposition MPs – Congress’ Mallikarjun Kharge and Jyotiraditya Scindia, Communist Party of India’s Mohammad Salim, Nationalist Congress Party’s Tariq Anwar, Aam Aadmi Party’s Bhagwant Mann, Communist Party of India’s CN Jayadevan, PK Kumhalikutty of the Indian Union Muslim League, Dharmendra Yadav of the Samajwadi Party and Jai Prakash Narayan Yadav of the Rashtriya Janata Dal – largely blamed the government for the washout of the Budget Session, NDTV reported. They accused the government of bulldozing the house and suspending rules meant to prevent “surreptitious legislation”.

“We were all witness to the disastrous manner in which the notices given by various parties were dealt with, including one given by a party which was till recently a trusted ally of the ruling party,” the legislators said in a veiled criticism of Mahajan’s role as speaker. “For all your concerns for the image of our Parliament globally, this ignominious chapter in the history of Indian Parliament has no precedent world over.”

After an all-party meeting convened on Tuesday, Mahajan again asked MPs not to disrupt proceedings. “I got their letter today in which they have expressed their anguish,” she said. “Children often blame others... I take it as a mother... We can always resolve issues and there is no big deal about it.”