The Opposition on Friday warned the government in the Lok Sabha to shun the “intoxication of power” and demanded talks to break the parliamentary deadlock.

The government replied by urging the Opposition to allow discussion in the House on Covid management, ignoring the demand for discussing the Pegasus snooping charges first.

“I urge the government to talk to the Opposition,” Congress House leader Adhir Chowdhury said during Zero Hour, when Lok Sabha members can raise issues they want to with the presiding officer’s permission.

“I want to warn the government that intoxication of power is not good...” Adhir succeeded in adding over the din before his mike was muted.

The senior and junior parliamentary affairs ministers, Pralhad Joshi and Arjun Ram Meghwal, had kept interrupting Adhir, accusing the Opposition of obstructing Parliament. Afterwards, the ministers reacted angrily to Adhir’s remarks.

“The government is not preventing discussion. Covid management is listed for discussion as asked by the Opposition,” Joshi said.

Through the three-week-old monsoon session, the Opposition has pressed relentlessly for a discussion on the Pegasus controversy first and then other important issues such as Covid, the new farm laws and the price rise.

The government has rejected the proposal, calling Pegasus a “non-issue”.

The Centre appears unperturbed by the stalemate because it has managed to pass the listed bills over the din by voice vote.

On Friday too, the government passed two bills in the Lok Sabha: the Taxation Laws (Amendment) Bill and the Central Universities (Amendment) Bill.

Using the opportunity to speak on the two bills, Adhir tried to flag the Opposition’s position but each time his mike was switched off after he had spoken a line or two. The presiding officer said Adhir should restrict himself to speaking on the bills.

“With all humility, must say the NDA government has passed this bill at the behest of the Supreme Court and due to international case. The same Supreme Court has yesterday...” Adhir managed to say while the taxation bill was being passed before his mike was muted.

Adhir was arguing that the Supreme Court’s observations on Thursday — that the Pegasus snooping allegations, if true, were “serious” and that the “truth has to come out” — should prompt the government to order a probe.

He was also making the point that the bill amending the tax law was being passed because of an apex court verdict against retrospective tax.

Adhir tried to speak a third time, when the varsities bill was being passed, saying the new farm laws should be repealed. He was muted again.