Speaker intervenes as Patil, Dasgupta spar in LS

New Delhi, May 16: Sparks flew thick and fast in the Lok Sabha today as Home Minister Shivraj Patil and CPI leader Gurudas Dasgupta sparred on Parliamentary rules to be followed for a discussion on a calling attention motion on communal violence in the country, prompting Speaker Somnath Chatterjee to intervene and bring the situation under control.

It all started when Mr Dasgupta took exception to Mr Patil's statement on the motion, moved jointly by him and four others, stating that the Minister ''has given an innocent catalogue of incidents'' of communal violence. ''It appears the issue has not been taken in proper perspective'' and that the Minister had ''soft- pedalled'' the issue.

At this point, Mr Patil rose on his feet to state that Mr Dasgupta was not following the rules meant for calling attention motion under which each member could raise only one ''explanatory question.'' Strongly objecting to the CPI leader ''finding fault'' with his statement, the Minister said he had in his statement made it clear that the government was willing to take up the matter under Rule 193, which would enable the House to have a debate for three to four hours.

''I am willing to discuss it at length. Turn it into a short duration discussion,'' Mr Patil told the chair.

Unrelenting, Mr Dasgupta said the Minister was using his wisdom and experience gained as Lok Sabha Speaker earlier to ''scuttle my'' views. ''It is unfair on his part...If the Minister was keen on converting it into a discussion under rule 193, instead of reading out his statement, he should have appealed to the chair.'' The member also said being impatient did not behove of a Minister. ''As a Minister, he should not be impatient.'' ''Unfortunately, this is not the way Parliament is run...I am also in the House for a long time. I should not have been interrupted,'' he said.

At this point, Speaker Somnath Chatterjee intervened, stating that it was nobody's business to pass comments on the ''Minister or members.'' He said he would convert the calling attention debate into a discussion under rule 193 if the House agreed. It was decided to take up the matter in the form of a calling attention motion as some members, including the movers, had wanted it to be so.

Again there were differences between Mr Basudeb Acharia (CPI-M), who had also given notice and initiated the discussion after the Minister's statement, and Mr Patil on the timing of the debate under Rule 193 as both had other commitments at the time suggested by each other.

The Speaker said it could be decided at the Business Advisory Committee (BSA).

The tense situation gradually started yielding to some humour as Mr Dasgupta and Mr Acharia got involved in a friendly argument over who would have the first say when the issue is taken up tomorrow.

Mr Dasgupta said he should be allowed to ''continue'' tomorrow as he was interrupted today, but Mr Acharia said he would like to make his points again as he was allowed only five minutes.

At this point, Mr Chatterjee also butted in to make the situation even lighter, stating that ''give a little opportunity to the Speaker, your Speaker.'' Whatever comments were made in the House could have been avoided, the Speaker said, prompting Mr Dasgupta to say that it included the Minister. ''Well, I am not saying that,'' the Speaker clarified without sounding serious and announced the adjournment of the House for the lunch break.

UNI