The Bharatiya Janata Party on Friday decided to maintain silence during question hour as long as chairman Hamid Ansari presided over the Rajya Sabha, to register its protest against the manner in which, it says, he used an old rule to punish All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam member of Parliament Dr V Maithreyan on Thursday. Maithreyan was asked to withdraw from the House during question hour yesterday for defying the chair after he repeatedly sought the prime minister's response to charges that Shipping Minister T R Baalu favoured his son`s firms. Baalu had on Wednesday admitted in the Rajya Sabha that he had 'put in a word' with the petroleum minister to get natural gas allocation to two companies owned by his sons.
Baalu claims the gas quota was issued in 1999 when the National Democratic Alliance was ruling the country. The quota was cancelled by the Gas Authority of India after he resigned from the Union Cabinet, Baalu said.
"The entire NDA and AIADMK will keep mum till he expunges his order from the records," S S Ahluwalia (BJP) said in a written communication delivered to rediff.com in the press gallery.
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