LS adjourned on issue of admonishing Ex-Gen Sec

New Delhi, May 23: The Lok Sabha was adjourned for one hour till 1200 hrs today after strong protest from the Opposition on the decision to reprimand the former Secretary General of the House Subash C Kashyap for ''grave misconduct''.

As soon as Speaker Somnath Chatterjee announced the start of question hour proceedings, BJP member Maneka Gandhi raised the issue asking how the House could take a unilateral decision on such an important issue, and wanted an immediate discussion to be held.

The Committee of Privileges, in its report, had found that the former Secretary General has committed a gross breach of privilege and contempt of the House by ''imputing motives to the Speaker in discharging his duties and casting reflections on his impartiality''.
The government had proposed to move a motion today agreeing with the conclusions and admonishing him for his ''grave misconduct''.

The Speaker rejected the demand saying prior permission had not been sought. The BJP members were immediately up on their feet and began raising slogans. They later trooped into the well of the House.

BJP Leader of the House Vijay Kumar Malhotra said it was strange that none of the NDA members were informed of such an important meeting where the government took the unilateral decision and sought a discussion.

At this, Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi requested the members to stick to agenda and allow the question hour be taken up, but the agitating members failed to calm down.

Members of the Left parties, allies of the UPA, also rose up and criticised the BJP for disrupting the question hour. They were supported by the RJD and SP members.

Amid continued pandemonium the Speaker announced the adjornment of the house for one hour till 12 noon.

UNI