RS adjourned for two hours on Kandahar issue

New Delhi, Jul 28: The Opposition BJP today forced an adjournment in Rajya Sabha demanding withdrawal of defamatory remarks made against its Leader and former External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh by a Congress member in the House yesterday during a short-duration discussion on Mumbai blasts.

As soon as the Chair called Congress member Rajiv Shukla's name for concluding his unfinished speech yesterday, the BJP members were on their feet demanding that Mr Shukla should withdraw his remarks that ''soft is the one who carried money and explosives'' along with three terrorists to be released in exchange of passengers of the hijacked Indian Airlines IC 814 to Kandahar.

''How many dollars were paid to them (terrorists),'' he had asked without taking any names.

While Mr Shukla contended that he had not taken any names, the opposition members, including Ms Sushma Swaraj, Mr S S Ahluwalia and Mr Vinay Katiyar, said if such practice was allowed, it would set a very wrong precedence which was not in the interest of smooth functioning of the House.

Deputy Chairman K Rahman Khan said that since Mr Shukla's remarks were expunged by the Chair, he had very little scope for compelling the member to withdraw his remark.

He, however, said if Mr Shukla withdrew on his own, he had no objection.

The BJP leaders were not convinced and they marched into the well of the House.

Mr Khan's repeated pleas to restore order failed and he adjourned the House till 1430 hrs saying ''the members are not interested in this short-duration discussion, so I adjourn the House till 2.30 PM'' (1430 Hrs).

UNI

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