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Opposition walks out of RS in protest against Laloo's indictment

The Opposition led by the Congress walked out of the Rajya Sabha after heated exchanges with the treasury benches over the Central Bureau of Investigation indicting Rashtriya Janata Dal president Laloo Prasad Yadav and his wife, Bihar Chief Minister Rabri Devi, in a case of disproportionate assets, an offshoot of the fodder scandal.

In the Lok Sabha, the speaker maintained that it was a matter within the domain of the state when opposition members during zero hour said the CBI action was nothing but political vendetta.

In the Upper House, Kapil Sibal (Cong), associating himself with the special mention of Ramdeo Bhandari (RJD), was repeatedly interrupted by Bharatiya Janata Party members, particularly Narendra Mohan and M Venkaiah Naidu.

When Adhik Shirodkar, who was in the chair, asked Sibal not to comment on the chargesheet, since the matter is subjudice, Sibal remarked, "Honourable vice-chairman, if you also do not allow me to speak then I will sit down."

Almost all opposition members were on their feet and Suresh Pachauri (Congress) said that since his party colleague was not being allowed to speak, they were walking out in protest. The other opposition members followed suit.

Sibal agreed that the chargesheet had been filed, but pleaded that the charges are yet to be framed.

Venkaiah Naidu wanted to know from the chair whether he was allowing a structured debate on the chargesheet and pointed out that nobody has the privilege to comment on a chargesheet filed in a court of law.

Earlier Sibal said the charges against Yadav and his wife were frivolous and the chargesheet against the chief minister was timed with her installation. He said that while cases were filed against six others, none of them was chargesheeted, and only the duo had been singled out. "The CBI must act fairly," he said.

He also pointed out that permission for prosecuting elected members was not sought from the speaker of the Bihar assembly, in defiance of the Supreme Court's judgment. He said, "Selective persecution and selective prosecution has permeated the CBI."

UNI

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