NDA ends boycott; Left, BJP stall proceedings

New Delhi, Aug 10 (UNI) The BJP-led NDA today ended the boycott of Speaker Somnath Chatterjee and returned to the Lok Sabha, but the proceedings were disrupted as the Left Party and the BJP members entered into heated exchanges over Mr Atal Bihari Vajpayee's letter to the Speaker.

After the House paid homage to martyrs of the Quit India Movement and the victims of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki holocaust, Mr Devendra Prasad Yadav (RJD) raised the flood issue and wanted a discussion on it.

Mr Chatterjee said it was a serious matter of public concern as lakhs and lakhs of people were suffering, and he would allow a discussion on it after Question Hour.

He then called out the first question, but Mr Basudeb Acharia (CPI-M) stood up to protest against Mr Vajpayee's letter.

This drew instant reaction from BJP members, and the two sides entered into heated exchanges.

As the furore continued for five minutes, the Speaker adjourned the House till 1130 hrs.

After the House reassembled, the Left Party and BJP members again traded charges, forcing the Speaker to adjourn the House till 1300 hrs.

On Tuesday, the BJP-led Opposition did not attend the Lok Sabha to protest against the Speaker's decision of not allowing them to raise a privilege motion against Prime Minister Manmohan Singh a day earlier on the leak of the Pathak Inquiry Authority Report to an electronic channel.

There was no sitting yesterday on account of Raksha Bandhan.

UNI YJ/JSS RL HS1156