Minister absent, Speaker pulls up govt

Speaker Somnath Chatterjee on Monday pulled up the Manmohan Singh Govt for the absence of a minister whose name was called by him to lay papers marked against his name in the listed business.

Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee on Monday pulled up the Manmohan Singh Government for the absence of a minister whose name was called by him to lay papers marked against his name in the listed business.

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As BJP chief whip Vijay Kumar Malhotra angrily pointed towards the absence of Minister of State for Agriculture Kanti Lal Bhuria to table the papers, Speaker Somnath Chatterjee said "Mr Malhotra is right. I agree, the honourable Minister should have been present on time."

The Speaker's remarks came in the midst of protests by BJP-led NDA on the issue of tainted ministers in the Government.

Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Surya Kanta Patil placed the papers on Bhuria's behalf.