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The issue caused three adjournments in the lower house while the upper house was adjourned twice followed by a walk-out by Sena-BJP members.
In the assembly, BJP leader Gopinath Munde raised the issue during zero hour, though Speaker Arun Gujrathi had rejected an adjournment notice in this regard.
"Why is Dutt, an accused in the bomb blast case, roaming scot-free even after his taped conversation with underworld has been made public in court during the Bharat Shah case?" he asked.
He also questioned the timing of the release of Sanjay's taped conversation with Shakeel to the media.
Strongly supporting Munde, opposition leader Narayan Rane said the issue concerns national security. Angry opposition members then stormed into the well, displaying banners deshdrohi Sanjay ko giraftar karo (arrest the traitor Sanjay Dutt).
The chair's appeals for restoring peace fell on deaf ears forcing him to adjourn house for ten minutes. As the din continued, the house witnessed two more adjournments. Opposition members raised slogans against Deputy Chief Minister Chhagan Bhujbal, who also holds the home portfolio.
When Bhujbal said it was the then home minister Gopinath Munde, who had released Sanjay from TADA cases, Munde countered by pointing out that it was the TADA court that had set the actor free.
In the upper house, the opposition BJP-Shiv Sena staged a walkout condemning the lack of action against Dutt.
Council Chairman N S Pharande adjourned the house twice amidst sloganeering and pandemonium by the opposition over the issue.
Raising the question soon after question hour, Diwakar Raote (Sena) wanted the government to come out with a statement why it was delaying the arrest of Dutt despite having evidence in the form of taped conversations.
Supporting Raote, Leader of the Opposition in the house Nitin Gadkari said, "The tape was deliberately leaked by Deputy Chief Minister Chhagan Bhujbal, who also holds the home portfolio, to counter the bank scam brought to light by the Congress."
Stating the government's stand, Minister of State for Home Kripa Shankar Singh said the government cannot make any statement on the floor of the house since the matter was sub-judice.
However, the opposition accused the government of 'shielding' Sanjay Dutt just because he was the son of a Congress member of Parliament (Sunil Dutt).
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