Pandemonium in LS for second day on Banerjee panel findings

New Delhi, Mar 7: The Justice U C Banerjee panel report on Godhra train fire figured in the Lok Sabha for the second day today, forcing adjournment of the House for nearly an hour.

When CPI(M) member Basudeb Acharia got up to raise the Banerjee committee report, the BJP members were up on their feet objecting to the issue being raised again for the second day.

Even as Mr Acharia was proceeding with his speech questioning the role of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi in perpetuating violence in the aftermath of the fire in the Sabarmati Express at Godhra in 2002 in which more than 50 people were killed, the agitated BJP members rushed to the well of the House and staged a demonstration shouting pro-Modi slogans.

Mr Acharia demanded that the Banerjee committee report, which reportedly concluded that the fire in S-6 coach of the Sabarmati express was an accident and not sabotage, should be discussed in the House.

He said the Gujarat Chief Minister had lost his moral authority to continue in power any longer.

This was objected to by the BJP members who maintained that it was a sub-judice matter.

The ruling front members also rushed towards the well shouting at the opposition benches.

Speaker Somnath Chatterjee offered to give a chance to the BJP members to speak on the issue after Mr Acharia concluded his speech, but his request fell on deaf ears with the members creating noisy scenes, forcing him to adjourn the House for an hour till 1400 hrs.

The members from the ruling Congress and its allies had yesterday plunged the House into disorder on the report demanding removal of Mr Modi.

The House was adjourned thrice yesterday. The third time it was adjourned for the day at least five hours ahead of schedule.

Earlier today, the House was adjourned for five minutes when there was pandemonium with the treasury benches objecting to TDP member Yerran Naidu's submission of corruption in awarding the contracts for irrigation projects in Andhra Pradesh.

UNI