Controversy over PM's remarks lingers, stormy scenes in Parl

New Delhi, Dec 11 (UNI) Notwithstanding all the clarifications about Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's remarks that the minorities had ''the first claim to country's resources'' meant all the underprivileged sections, the issue still lingered on with the BJP demanding an apology and the Congress ruling out any such need.

Both House of Parliament were adjourned for the day today, within minutes after they reassembled in the post-lunch session, as the Opposition NDA insisted on an apology from the Prime Minister for his statement in the National Development Council meeting on Saturday.

Earlier, in the pre-lunch session also, the opposition BJP had stalled proceedings on the issue, leading to three adjournments of both houses.

Both the Houses were first adjourned till 1130 hrs, then till 1200 hrs and finally till 1400 hrs as the opposition members shouted slogans, demanding that the Prime Minister come to the House and apologise to the nation.

The BJP said it would continue its protests in Parliament on the issue until Dr Manmohan Singh apologised to the nation as ''mere clarifications'' would not do.

''Mere clarifications cannot explain away the PM's statement as his address was in 'black and white','' senior party leader and Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha L K Advani said, claiming it to be ''rank communal appeasement.'' Noting that there were crores in the country who were below poverty line and living in miserable conditions, he said that when the Prime Minister talked about priority of claims, he had ''expected him to say that the first claim on resources should be of BPL families, particularly Dalits, Tribals and Backwards.'' Terming the statement a ''violation of the spirit of the Constitution,'' he said that it has ''shocked'' millions in the country and demanded that it be withdrawn.

BJP Parliamentary Party Spokesman Vijay Kumar Malhotra said that a ''mere clarification'' was not enough and the Prime Minister should ''tender apologies to the nation.'' However, rejecting the BJP's demand for an apology, the Congress said that the opposition party was playing a ''fraud'' on the people by distorting the statement out of context.

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