NDA to seek suspension of QH in LS over farmers' suicides

New Delhi, Feb 25 (UNI) The BJP-led NDA will seek suspension of Question Hour in the Lok Sabha tomorrow for discussing the unabated suicides of farmers across the country but will not disturb the presentation of the Rail Budget by the Railway Minister Lalu Prasad, scheduled at 1200 hours.

The BJP meanwhile has decided to move 55 amendments to President Pratibha Patil's address to the Budget session of Parliament.

Talking to newspersons, BJP Parliamentary Party spokesman Vijay Kumar Malhotra said that the Opposition NDA will raise the issue of farmers' suicides as soon as the House began its proceedings, demanding suspension of the Question Hour to discuss the matter which was a matter of concern for all of them. They would also express their anguish over President Pratibha Patil having made no reference to the plight of farmers, forcing them to commit suicides, in her maiden address to the joint sitting of both Houses of Parliament.

He said the Opposition would however make no hindrance in the presentation of the Railway Budget.

Mr Malhotra regretted that the President's speech had no reference to many important issues like the farmers' plight, price rise, inflation, incidents of attacks on North Indians in Assam and Mumbai, the Sethusamudram Project, Indo-US Nuclear deal and delay in the execution of Afzal Guru in the Parliament attack case.

The promise to create a separate Telangana state from Andhra Pradesh was never implemented, he said. The NDA would also call upon the UPA government to come out with a draft on the Women's Reservation Bill during the session.

In the Rajya Sabha x x x x Eds: Picking up from para five of DI 24 ''PARLIAMENT-PRESIDENT-ADDRESS-BJP'' UNI KAS RK1850