N-deal panel puts Parliament in stir
BJP gives notice of breach of privilege in Lok Sabha. Both Houses saw two adjournments each till after lunch.
By PTI |
NEW DELHI: The UPA-Left decision to set up a committee on the Indo-US nuclear deal on Friday stirred a hornet's nest in Parliament with Opposition NDA and Third Front seeking a Joint Parliamentary Committee, a demand rejected by the government.
It was trouble from the word go in both the Houses, with the BJP giving a notice of breach of privilege in Lok Sabha against the government for announcing the formation of the committee outside Parliament when it is in session.
Both Houses saw two adjournments each till after lunch.
"It is not a family matter. It is an insult to the House. The proposal (to set up a committee) should be withdrawn," BJP leader V K Malhotra said, demanding that a JPC be set up on the issue.
Rejecting his contention, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee said the committee did not have any official status and was an "internal arrangement" between the UPA and its allies.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister P R Dasmunsi sought to take a dig at the BJP telling the saffron party to "form an internal committee" to remove the "confusion" on the issue.
Speaker Somnath Chatterjee said he has received the notice by Deputy Leader of Opposition V K Malhotra and said he would take a decision on it.
The BJP members remained undeterred in their protests and came to the well of the House raising slogans against the government, forcing the Speaker to adjourn the proceedings till 1530 hours.
Similar scenes were witnessed in Rajya Sabha also with the NDA and Third Front members demanding formation of JPC. Chairman Hamid Ansari adjourned the House for an hour. When the House re-assembled, the matter was raised again and the House had to be adjourned twice.
It was trouble from the word go in both the Houses, with the BJP giving a notice of breach of privilege in Lok Sabha against the government for announcing the formation of the committee outside Parliament when it is in session.
Both Houses saw two adjournments each till after lunch.
"It is not a family matter. It is an insult to the House. The proposal (to set up a committee) should be withdrawn," BJP leader V K Malhotra said, demanding that a JPC be set up on the issue.
Rejecting his contention, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee said the committee did not have any official status and was an "internal arrangement" between the UPA and its allies.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister P R Dasmunsi sought to take a dig at the BJP telling the saffron party to "form an internal committee" to remove the "confusion" on the issue.
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Speaker Somnath Chatterjee said he has received the notice by Deputy Leader of Opposition V K Malhotra and said he would take a decision on it.
The BJP members remained undeterred in their protests and came to the well of the House raising slogans against the government, forcing the Speaker to adjourn the proceedings till 1530 hours.
Similar scenes were witnessed in Rajya Sabha also with the NDA and Third Front members demanding formation of JPC. Chairman Hamid Ansari adjourned the House for an hour. When the House re-assembled, the matter was raised again and the House had to be adjourned twice.
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