New Delhi: A spirited Opposition today forced the adjournment of the Parliament till noon over the issue of coal block allocation with members making a vociferous demand for resignation of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
Soon after Speaker Meira Kumar made an obituary reference in the Lok Sabha on the demise of former member Prabhat Singh Chauhan, who passed away on July 1, members of the NDA and some Left parties trooped into the Well.
The BJP demanded the PM’s resignation vociferously.
Most of the BJP members, who refused to pay heed to Kumar’s appeal for peace, were heard demanding Singh’s resignation in the wake CAG reports on coal block allocation and two other issues. Amid the din, Minister of State in the PMO V Narayanasamy also appealed to the Opposition members to allow the House to run.
As the opposition members were unrelenting, Kumar adjourned the proceedings till noon. In the Rajya Sabha, which witnessed two adjournments
before noon, BJP-led NDA members were on their feet shouting slogans demanding Prime Minister’s resignation. ”Istifa do, istifa do, Pradhan Mantri istifa do (Prime Minister resign),” they chanted.
Chairman Hamid Ansari told members not to raise slogans and asked senior BJP member M Venkiah Naidu as to what he wanted to speak. Naidu then said, “we want Prime Minister to go” and not a mere statement on the issue.
Amid slogan shouting, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Rajiv Shukla said the opposition “should not run away from discussion”. ”Koyle ki dalali hai, sari Congress kali hai” (there is scam in coal allocation, Congress is responsible), some Opposition members shouted.
Ansari then adjourned the House for 30 minutes. When the Rajya Sabha reassembled, similar scenes were seen and the House was adjourned till noon.
PTI
