Pathak Report leak forces RS adjournment twice

New Delhi, Aug 7: An angry Opposition, led by the BJP, today forced adjournment of the Rajya Sabha twice, demanding that the privilege motion against Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the leak of the R S Pathak Inquiry Authority report be taken up and former External Affairs Minister Natwar Singh, who has been indicted in the Report, be allowed to speak as he had also given a similar notice.

The House was first adjourned minutes after it had assembled for the day.

The moment after the House had completed the obituary reference to former Orissa Chief Minister Nandini Satpathy, the Opposition parties were on their feet demanding the privilege motion on the leak of the Pathak report be taken up first.

As the BJP members, supported by the Samajwadi Party and the TDP, raised slogans like '' Sarkar Dawadol Hai, PM House Mein Mole Hai'', the members from the treasury benches also rose up and a heated exchange between the two sides followed.

The treasury members wanted a question relating to children be taken up. But the Opposition was not to give up and kept on raising slogans.

Senior BJP leaders, including Ms Sushma Swaraj and Mr Yashwant Sinha, raised the matter forcefully.

Interestingly, Mr Natwar Singh was seated in the front row of the treasury benches. He was seated with senior Congress leaders and Cabinet Ministers Mr Arjun Singh, Mr Kamal Nath and Ms Meira Kumar and others.

Finding the House in turmoil, Chairman Bhairon Singh Shekhawat adjourned the proceedings till 1200 hrs.

However, as soon as the House reassembled and Minister of State for Finance Pawan Kumar Bansal laid the Pathak Authority Report and the ATR on the table of the House, former External Affairs Minister Yashwant Sinha rose and demanded that Mr Natwar Singh be allowed to speak as he had given a notice of the privilege motion.

Rising from his seat, Mr Singh looked ready to speak.

However, Mr Sinha had hardly finished then Congress members, led by Mr Narain Swamy, were on their feet putting up a counter demand that the privilege motion against Mr Jaswant Singh on the 'mole issue' be taken up first.

Meanwhile, Mr Sinha had been joined in by his party leaders, including Mrs Sushma Swaraj, Mr Murli Manohar Joshi, Mr Arun Shourie, and members of other parties, including Mr Amar Singh of the Samajwadi Party and others.

They were vociferously demanding, ''Let Mr Natwar Singh speak'' and ''listen to what he wants to say.'' Their demand was matched by as much vigour from the treasury benches with ''First the mole issue should come up''.

All appeals of the Chair to the Members to let the proceedings continue went in vain. He finally adjourned the House till 1400 hrs.

UNI

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