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Pradhan mantri isteefa do... Oppn shuts down Parliament

Last updated on: April 29, 2013 14:51 IST

For the sixth straight day on Monday, Parliament could not function properly because of ruckus created by Opposition which was demanding resignation of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh over coal block allocation issue and CBI affidavit on it.

Both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha saw uproar as soon as they met for the day, forcing their adjournment till noon, then till 2 PM and finally for the day.

As soon as Lok Sabha assembled in the morning, BJP members led by Ganesh Singh and Sanjay Jaiswal trooped into the Well shouting slogans: "pradhan mantri isteefa do (Prime Minister resign)" and "koyele ki dalali hai, poori Congress kali hai (Congress is tainted in coal scam)".

SP member Shailendra Kumar raised the issue of incursion by Chinese troops in Ladakh. "China is capturing the whole country," he said, prompting his party members to troop into into the Well to protest on the issue.

"The country is in grave danger," Saroj Toofani (SP) said amid din, while his party colleague Neeraj Shekhar shouted that Chinese troops were well inside the Indian territory.

Congress members from Telangana region held placards demanding formation of a separate state. They stood in the aisle.

As the din continued, Speaker Meira Kumar adjourned the House till noon.

Similar scenes were witnessed when the House re-assembled with BJP members resuming slogan-shouting.

In the din, Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav voiced concern over the Chinese troops intruding up to 19 km in Ladakh region and targeted the government for not dealing with it properly.

The former Defence Minister, whose party is extending crucial support to the UPA, accused the government of behaving in a "cowardly and incompetent" manner and said it was "good for nothing".

The SP chief said the Indian Army was ready to flush out the Chinese troops but the government was not giving the required instructions to them.

He also objected to proposed visit of External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid to Beijing on May 9 in connection with the preparations of Chinese Premier Li Keqiang’s visit to New Delhi later next month.

Yadav was joined by B Mahtab (BJD) and Sudip Bandyopadhyay (TMC) in demanding statement by the Prime Minister on the "serious" issue.

As they spoke, BJP members continued with slogan-shouting and in the din, Girija Vyas, who was in the Chair, adjourned the House till 2 pm. Uproar was witnessed when the House met again, forcing its adjournment for the day.

Rajya Sabha too witnessed ruckus as BJP members shouted slogans demanding the Prime Minister's resignation.

Chairman Hamid Ansari called the House to order during the Question Hour and asked Prakash Javadekar (BJP) to ask the first question listed against his name.

"I am asking...isteefa kab denge (when will Prime Minister resign)," Javadekar said as his slogan-shouting party colleagues moved into the Well.

Ansari asked members to allow the Question Hour. "For a change, allow Question Hour to proceed," he pleaded with them.

BJP members peppered the slogan-shouting with demands for dismissal of Law Minister Ashwani Kumar over the CBI affidavit on the coal scam issue.

As members did not relent, Ansari said, "Under conditions of force majeure, the House is adjourned till 1200 hours."

Force majeure is French word which means an unexpected or uncontrollable event.

As similar scenes were witnessed again, the House was adjourned at noon till 2 PM and then for the day.

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