Modi brings House down

Rajya Sabha proceedings were disrupted thrice on Thursday over the reported clean chit to Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi by Central Bureau of Investigation in the Sohrabuddin Sheikh fake encounter case.

Rajya Sabha proceedings were disrupted thrice on Thursday over the reported clean chit to Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi by Central Bureau of Investigation in the Sohrabuddin Sheikh fake encounter case.

HT Image

Former union minister and Lok Janshakti party chief Ram Vilas Paswan along with the Rashtriya Janata Dal MPs, rushed towards the well of the House immediately after lunch.

Paswan, supported by RJD members Ram Kripal Yadav and Rajniti Prasad, shouted slogans against the alleged deal between the Congress and the BJP on the issue.

P. J. Kurien, who was presiding over the House, asked them to quote the rule under which they wanted to speak. He did not permit Paswan to raise the issue observing that Zero Hour was over.

Paswan, however, insisted that he was not allowed to raise the matter during Zero Hour.

Soon afterwards, the three MPs entered the well, sat on a dharna and raised slogans. Minister for Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation Kumari Selja and Congress member Jesudasu Seelam tried to calm the agitating members, even as BJP members entered into a verbal duel with the treasury benches.

Kurien asked Paswan to give a fresh notice. But, he and the RJD members were unrelenting. Home Minister P Chidambaram tried to intervene but Kurien asked him not to do so.

The House was then adjourned for 10 minutes. When Kurien returned, he again adjourned the House for another 10 minutes, and then finally for the third time till 3 pm.