Parliament stalled again amid growing call for PM's resignation

With a series of scams battering the government, Parliament was paralysed again on Monday, as an aggressive Opposition demanded the resignation of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Union ministers P K Bansal and Ashwani Kumar.

Meeting in the backdrop of the Congress rejecting the demand for resignation of the Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal and the Law Minister Ashwani Kumar, the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha saw two adjournments before lunch break.

Parliament has not been able to function since the second phase of the budget session started on April 22.

Disorder was the order of the day as the two Houses assembled at 11 am after a weekend break during which Bansal came under a cloud after the arrest of his nephew by the Central Bureau of Investigation on bribery charges in connection with a plum posting in Railways.

The twin issues of coal scam and allegations of bribery in connection with senior-level postings in the Railways took prominence as the Bharatiya Janata Party and Left members stormed into the Well in Lok Sabha and the BJP in Rajya Sabha.

The protests were more marked as the proceedings were held close on the heels of CBI Director Ranjit Sinha admitting before the Supreme Court that certain changes were made in the coal-gate draft report on suggestions given by Kumar and officials of the Prime Minister’s Office.

Akali Dal members also forcefully raised the issue of the acquittal of Congress leader Sajjan Kumar in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots case and demanded setting up of a Supreme Court-monitored Special Investigation Team to probe allegations against him afresh.

Samajwadi Party members in Lok Sabha raised the issue of immediate implementation of the Sachar Committee recommendations for welfare of Muslims.

In Rajya Sabha, the BJP stalled proceedings demanding resignation of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh over alleged corruption in the government.

As soon as the House met for the day, BJP members trooped into the Well shouting slogans, "Ab to yeh spasht hai, poori Congress bhrasht hai (Now it is clear, the entire Congress is corrupt."

As Chairman Hamid Ansari took up the first listed question, BJP members shouted, "Pradhan mantri istifa do, istifa do (Prime minister should resign)."

Soon All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam members too joined them in the Well and with the members unrelenting, he adjourned the House till noon.

Minutes after it re-assembled, BJP members raised their pitch against the government demanding resignations of the PM as well as that of Kumar and Bansal.

In a veiled attack on Bansal on the alleged bribery case involving his nephew, BJP members shouted, "O Mama, desh ko mamu mat banao (Uncle don't befool the country)."
 As they continued with their sloganeering, Deputy Chairman P J Kurien adjourned the Upper House till 2 pm. Later, when the House again met at 2 pm, BJP members rushed into the Well raising slogans. Amid din, Kurien adjourned the House for the day.