Parliament fails to function for seventh day

NEW DELHI: Parliament failed to function for the seventh straight day today with opposition remaining adamant on its demand for JPC probe in the 2G spectrum issue, while Congress insisted on sacking of Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa over corruption charges.

The logjam in Parliament persisted forcing adjournments of both Houses for the day without transacting any significant business as has been the case on all working days since the Winter Session began on November 9.

Chaotic scenes were witnessed in both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, where an unrelenting opposition trooped to the well raising slogans demanding setting up of a Joint Parliamentary Committee to probe alleged irregularities in allocation of 2G spectrum, the conduct of the Commonwealth Games and the Adarsh housing scam in Mumbai.

Congress members countered the opposition onslaught by rushing to the aisles demanding the resignation of Yeddyurappa in connection with the alleged irregularities in land allocations in the state favouring his sons.

They were also seen waving placards 'Punish Yeddyurappa to protect Karnataka from mining mafia, land grabbers', 'Book Bellary Brothers', 'Sack Yeddyurappa'. All the while, opposition chanted 'We want JPC' in the well.

Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar and Rajya Sabha Chairman Hamid Ansari adjourned the Question Hour minutes after both the Houses met for the day.

Deputy Speaker Karia Munda, who was in the chair, barely managed to get official reports placed before the Lok Sabha before adjourning the House for the day.

In the Rajya Sabha, official papers were placed before the House amid the din by opposition and Congress members. Deputy Chairman K Rahman Khan then adjourned the House till tomorrow.

The impasse in Parliament continued even after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's promise two days back that action will be taken against anybody found guilty of any wrong doing in 2G specturm allocation. Singh had appealed to political parties to allow Parliament to function.