Advani seeks PM's apology on Soren issue

New Delhi, Nov 29: The Shibu Soren issue rocked both Houses of Parliament today, with the Opposition demanding an apology from Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and the government maintaining that nothing unlawful had taken place as the JMM supremo was asked to quit the cabinet and his resignation promptly accepted after his conviction in a murder case.

The Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha witnessed two adjournments each on the issue in the pre-lunch sitting. However, when the Upper House reassembled at 1400 hrs, the uproar continued leading to Deputy Chairman K Rehman Khan adjourning the chamber for the day.

Raising the Soren issue during zero hour in the Lok Sabha, Leader of the Opposition L K Advani said the Prime Minister owed an explanation to the House for inducting the JMM leader into the Cabinet and should tender an apology to the nation.

Mr Advani said all these years, the debate was confined to criminalisation of politics, but now the Council of Ministers stood criminalised. It was a shame that a Minister had been held guilty of murder, he added.

The ruling coalition had always argued, following the Opposition demands for the resignation of tainted ministers from the Ministry, that it was the prerogative of the Prime Minister to choose his team, he said.

Now, the Prime Minister should explain the ''facts of the case'' and how he exercised his prerogative for inducting Soren, who was facing a murder case filed by the CBI which was under the PM, the BJP leader said.

In fact, when the Opposition was demanding the resignation of Soren long ago, it did not know of the murder case pending against him, Mr Advani said.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi, responding on behalf of the government, said the opposition could not distinguish between the murder of an individual in the Soren case and the communal carnage that followed the Babri Masjid demolition in which Mr Advani was chargesheeted.

Dr Singh had not only promptly secured Soren's resignation, but also made it clear that any convicted Minister had no place in his Ministry, Mr Dasmunsi said.

Mr Prabhunath Singh (JD-U) said this was the first time that a Cabinet Minister was convicted for murder.

Mr Basudev Acharia and Mr Gurudas Dasgupta (both CPI-M) agreed with Mr Dasmunsi that Mr Advani had no moral authority to raise the issue as he had been chargesheeted in the Babri Masjid demolition case.

Mr Mohan Singh (SP) and Mr Devendra Prasad Yadav (RJD) said the BJP was engaging in ''double talk'' and could not lecture others.

The Lok Sabha witnessed an adjournment after the BJP members had trooped into the well, demanding an apology from Mr Dasgupta for making a remark against Mr Advani. The Speaker expunged Mr Dasgupta's remark, but this did not pacify the BJP members.

Both the Houses could not hold the question hour as the Opposition, demanding the suspension of question hour, stalled the proceedings.

UNI

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