Congress creates storm in Parliament over PM's attack on Sonia

New Delhi, May 9: Congress on Monday created a storm in Parliament and disrupted proceedings over Prime Minister Narendra Modi's charge at a poll rally that an Italian court had named Sonia Gandhi in AgustaWestland chopper bribery case.

The Rajya Sabha saw four adjournments in the first two hours because of the continued uproar and sloganeering by Congress members, leading to washout of the Zero Hour and Question Hour.

"Narendra Modi maafi mange. 'Feku' Mama maafi maange (Narendra Modi should apologise. Bluffmaster should apologise)," shouted members of the Congress in the Rajya Sabha, which failed to transact any business excpet one question during the Question Hour.

In the Lok Sabha too, the issue generated heat soon after it assembled for the day with Congress members raising the matter.

The Congress questioned how the Prime Minister could make such allegations when Defence Minister had not stated this in his reply to debates on the controversy in both the Houses last week. The opposition party wanted to know which court Modi was quoting.

"Pradhan Mantri House mein aao (Prime Minister should come to the House)" and reply, Congress members chanted.

In Rajya Sabha, they demanded an apology from the Prime Minister, forcing Deputy Chairman P J Kurien to first adjourn the proceedings of the House twice during Zero Hour, first for 10 minutes and then again till 1200 hours.

Again when the House met at noon, Chairman Hamid Ansari's pleas to allow the Question Hour to function did not evoke any positive response as the Congress members created pandemonium and raised slogans against the Prime Minister.

At one point, an exasperated Ansari remarked: "It is not becoming of the House". Do not do that. Allow the question hour to take place."

PTI