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Lok Sabha adjourned for the day

The Lok Sabha was today adjourned for the day over the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh membership controversy without transacting any business except the laying of papers and a statement by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pramod Mahajan on the security provided to family members of Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray.

As soon as the House reassembled at 1400 IST after the first adjournment, several members belonging to the Congress, Rashtriya Janata Dal and Samajwadi Party rushed to the well and started shouting, "We want a discussion on the RSS issue under Rule 184."

Members of the Bharatiya Janata Party also started shouting that the discussion should be allowed under Rule 193 as decided by the speaker.

Amidst protests by the Opposition, Basudev Acharia of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), who was in the chair, asked the ministers concerned as listed in the business of the day to lay the papers mentioned against their names on the table.

He also decided to allow Rajesh Pilot (Congress) to speak and repeatedly called him after the papers were laid. But Pilot could not speak in the din. Kirit Somaiya (BJP) and his collegaues accused the Opposition of not allowing the House to function. As shouting from both sides continued, the presiding officer adjourned the House till tomorrow.

As on the previous five days, the Opposition raised the issue as soon as the House assembled at 1100 IST, demanding a discussion under Rule 184 on the permission granted by the Gujarat government to its employees to join the RSS.

Mahajan made it clear that there was no question of allowing a discussion under Rule 184, which provides for a vote. The government had no objection to discuss the matter under Rule 193 as decided by the speaker, he said. Rule 193 has no provision for a vote on the discussion.

He reiterated that the Centre had no intention of allowing public servants to participate in RSS activities.

He said the Union government was not blocking discussion on any issue. The speaker had allowed a discussion on the subject and Somaiya was yet to complete his opening speech on this, Mahajan said.

EARLIER REPORT:
Lok Sabha adjourned till 1400 IST

UNI

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