Lok Sabha adjourned over Soren issue

Seeking dismissal of Coal Minister, BJP and Shiv Sena members stalled proceedings, forcing adjournment of Lok Sabha till noon. In Hindi

Irate BJP and Shiv Sena members on Tuesday staged a walkout in Lok Sabha protesting Government's reticence on the arrest warrant issued against Coal Minister Shibu Soren by a Jharkhand Court in a 30-year-old murder case after forcing adjournment of the House for 20 minutes.

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As soon as the House assembled on Tuesday morning, the members were on their feet asking Government to respond on the issue which had brought shame to the country.

Raising the matter, BJP chief whip Vijay Kumar Malhotra said that it was a matter of shame for the country that police were running after Soren with an arrest warrant.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh or Leader of the House Pranab Mukherjee should respond and take the House into confidence on the issue, he demanded.

Speaker Somnath Chatterjee repeatedly pleaded with members to allow the Question Hour but this had no impact on the slogan-shouting members who trooped into the well chanting "Shibu Soren ko barkhast karo (dismiss Shibu Soren) and "warrantwala mantri nahin chalega (A Minister against whom arrest warrant is pending will not be tolerated)".

This was countered by a few members from ruling benches including Ramdas Athwale (RPI) and Madhusudan Mistry (Congress) who raised slogans against the previous NDA Government.

After 40 minutes of pandemonium, Chatterjee adjourned the House till noon.

The members walked out of the House when it reassembled at 1200 hours saying they were leaving as there was no response from the Government.