NDA demands ouster of Lalu Yadav

The Rajya Sabha was adjourned twice on Monday following uproarious scenes by the Opposition, which demanded dismissal of Union Railway Minister Lalu Prasad after he was charge-sheeted in the 1996 fodder scam.

As soon as the House met for the day, the National Democratic Alliance raised the issue stalling Question Hour but were vehemently opposed by Rashtriya Janata Dal and Congress members.

Chairman Bhairon Singh Shekhawat adjourned the House till 1400 hours.

The Lok Sabha also witnessed acrimonious exchanges between the RJD and the NDA over the issue forcing adjournment of the House in the pre-lunch session.

"The behaviour in the street is better than what is happening here," an anguished Speaker Somnath Chatterjee remarked after repeated attempts by him to restore order failed.

Earlier, a meeting of the Opposition alliance, chaired by former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, also decided to "expose the falsehood being spread by the railway minister against the Gujarat government over the alleged attack on him at Samalaya, the site of the train tragedy, last week".

"Charges have been framed against Prasad and his associates under various sections including cheating and fraud. A Union minister had to appear before a court and therefore the Prime Minister should dismiss him forthwith," BJP parliamentary party spokesman Vijay Kumar Malhotra told reporters here after a 30-minute long meeting of the alliance
leaders.