Oppn stalls Parliament to demand JPC probe into major scams

NEW DELHI: Opposition on Wednesday paralysed both Houses of Parliament demanding JPC probe into alleged "large scale corruption and scams" in Commonwealth Games, telecom 2-G Spectrum and Adarsh Housing Society.

As soon as the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha met, Opposition members led by BJP did not allow the Question Hour by trooping into the well raising slogans, leading to adjournment till noon.

When the two Houses reassembled, Opposition members again raised the issue leading to their adjournment for the day. They were demanding removal of Telecom Minister A Raja and an enquiry by a Joint Parliamentary Committee into the CWG scam.

In the Upper House, Leader of the Opposition Arun Jaitley said during Question Hour that there has been "unprecedented rise in cases of corruption in high places."

He also referred to the alleged scam in allocation of second generation or 2G spectrum to new telecom companies, reports of corruption in the CWG 2010 and irregularities in Adarsh Housing society in Mumbai.

"Government instead of dealing with the issue has belittled them as inner party issues," he said.

Questioning the role of Raja in the telecom scam, AIADMK leader V Maitreyan said he had a copy of the CAG report on the 2G spectrum allocation and displayed it.

As Opposition benches shouted slogans, Chairman Hamid Ansari adjourned the House till noon. Similar scenes followed when it reassembled at 1200 hours, forcing its adjournment for the day.

The Opposition parties adopted the same strategy in the Lok Sabha and stalled proceedings by storming the well.

The AIADMK members demanded removal of Raja as Telecom Minister, while BJP leaders Murli Manohar Joshi and Ananth Kumar led their party members in castigating the government on the alleged scams.

After the Question Hour was disrupted, the House was adjourned till noon and later for the day.

The protests were joined by members of Shiv Sena, JD(U) and SP who rushed into the well.

The removal of Ashok Chavan as Maharashtra Chief Minister and resignation of Suresh Kalmadi as Secretary of the Congress Parliamentary Party in the wake of reports of CWG scam did not seem to have any impact on the protests by an unrelenting Opposition.