The government on Monday agreed to a two-day discussion on the Constitution in both Houses of Parliament during the ongoing winter session, paving the way for ending the stalemate that prevailed over the past week.

Both sides of the divide articulated the hope of Parliament functioning from Tuesday. The breakthrough came on Monday afternoon at a meeting of all parties' floor leaders with Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla in which the government accepted the recommendation of the business advisory committee to set aside two days for a discussion on the Constitution to mark the 75th anniversary of its adoption in 1949.

The leaders of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha had written to the presiding officers last week seeking a discussion.

The discussion on the Constitution will be held in the Lok Sabha on December 13 and 14. The Rajya Sabha will hold a similar discussion on December 16 and 17. Announcing the end of the deadlock, parliamentary affairs minister Kiren Rijiju urged Opposition parties to abide by the agreement.

On the other issues that the Opposition wants to raise — Sambhal, Manipur, Adani and Ajmer Sharif — Rijiju said there were rules for raising issues and the government was bound by them. "They can give their notices and the Speaker in the Lok Sabha and the Chairman in the Rajya Sabha will decide."

In a post on X, Congress communications in-charge and Rajya Sabha member Jairam Ramesh recalled the letter written by the two leaders of the Opposition on November 26 for a special discussion on the Constitution. "Six days later, this request has been accepted by the Modi govt and the dates for the discussion have been announced as requested by the Indian National Congress and other INDIA parties. Hopefully, now the Modi government will allow both Houses to function from tomorrow."

After the two Houses were adjourned within minutes of the start of the sessions every day, Trinamool had said the government was not interested in Parliament functioning. "We feel the government is deliberately running away from a discussion," Trinamool’s Derek O’Brien had told reporters, adding that the government made no effort last week to end the logjam over the Opposition’s notices to discuss issues like the Adani charges in the US, Sambhal violence and the Manipur situation. The Opposition’s notices in the two Houses on these issues were repeatedly rejected by the presiding officers, leading to protests.