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The B.1.617 variant of the coronavirus first identified in India last year has been found in 44 countries, says the World Health Organization (WHO) which has classified it as a 'variant of concern'. The UN body routinely assesses if variants of SARS-CoV-2 result in changes in transmissibility and severity, or if they lead to changes in public health and social measures' implementation by national health authorities.

"As of May 11, over 4,500 sequences have been uploaded to GISAID and assigned to B.1.617 from 44 countries in all six WHO regions," the global health body said in its latest weekly epidemiological update published on Tuesday.

GISAID is a global science initiative and primary source that provides open access to genomic data of the novel coronavirus responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic. WHO has also characterized the lineage B.1.617 as a variant of concern (VOC). Variants of concern are those considered more dangerous than the original form of the virus first seen in China in late 2019.

Accusing the opposition MPs of disrespecting Parliament by standing on tables, breaking glasses and manhandling women marshals, Union minister Piyush Goyal urged Rajya Sabha Chairperson to form a special committee that would investigate the House proceedings in detail and take strict action.

"I think the House has never seen such unruly behaviour in the past," he said.

Piyush Goyal, who is also the Leader of the House in the Rajya Sabha, said opposition MPs manhandled marshals, including women, smashed glasses of the House and stood on tables. "They have disrespected the Chair and the House."

The Supreme Court on Tuesday drummed loudly the urgency for weeding out criminals from electoral politics, and scathingly criticised the Centre's lackadaisical approach in enacting suitable laws to decriminalise legislatures and warned that the nation is losing patience as repeated appeals for reforms have fallen in the deaf ears of sleeping political parties.

In a 71-page judgment holding most political parties guilty of contempt for breaching a SC laid down rules mandating publicising criminal antecedents of candidates in the fray, a bench of Justices R F Nariman and B R Gavai said, "The nation continues to wait, and is losing patience. Cleansing the polluted stream of politics is obviously not one of the immediate pressing concerns of the legislative branch of government."

The opposition announced on Monday that it will join the discussion on the 127th Constitutional amendment Bill to restore power of states to identify and maintain the state lists of OBCs, making a temporary and selective break in its disruption of Parliament over the Pegasus snooping controversy.

At a meeting of the floor leaders of opposition parties, called by Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge, it was decided that they will participate in the debate. Sources said there was some reservation expressed by Trinamool Congress but it agreed to go with the larger consensus given the political sensitivity of the OBC issue.

Kharge, flanked by other opposition members, told reporters it was a legislation concerning the backward classes that would be supported. However, as protests later showed, the opposition has only made an exception for the Constitution amendment Bill and is not willing to allow any other discussion in keeping with its “Pegasus first” stance.

As the Monsoon session of Parliament enters its final week, there is little possibility of both the Houses functioning smoothly as Opposition parties Sunday made it clear they will continue to insist on a discussion on the Pegasus spyware issue — a demand that the Government is unlikely to accede to. The opposition’s strategy of speaking on the Pegasus snooping row and farm laws during discussions of Bills in the Rajya Sabha has now been compiled in a three-minute video in an attempt to make the government listen to their demands, leaders said on Sunday.

The video, released by the TMC on Sunday morning from RS MP Derek O’Brien’s handle, urges, “Mr Modi come listen to us”. Opposition party sources indicated that over the last few weeks, leaders have realized that the disruptions by them in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha are not enough. It was important to say the words, “farmers”, “Pegasus” and spyware on the floor of the Houses.