Parliament adjourned amid din

An anguished Somnath Chatterjee said MPs shouting slogans near his podium were "working overtime to finish democracy" in the country.

Both Houses of Parliament were adjourned amid din on Thursday after Finance Minister P Chidambaram tabled the annual Economic Survey as MPs denounced the government over the plight of millions of farmers.

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Unable to restore order, an anguished Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee first adjourned the house till noon and then until Friday, saying MPs shouting slogans near his podium were "working overtime to finish democracy" in the country.

Looking at the MPs, Chatterjee said: "You are working overtime to finish democracy in this country. I am sorry about it.

"There are so many notices for discussions. The president's address is slated for discussion today. These important matters cannot be discussed.

"With great sorrow and sadness, I am adjourning the house. Let the country decide what is to be done."

On Wednesday, Chatterjee had warned that MPs approaching his podium with a view to cripple parliamentary proceedings would face disciplinary action. But he did nothing of that sort Thursday.

Similar disruptions led to the Rajya Sabha also being adjourned until Friday.

MPs from the Samajwadi Party, Shiv Sena and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) were in the forefront of the slogan shouting, demanding that the government waive loans given to farmers across the country.

In the upper house, some MPs shouted "shame on the UPA government!"

BJP leaders like Sushma Swaraj and S.S. Ahluwalia joined the slogan shouting but did not go towards the chairman's chamber.