LS adjourned till lunch over Quattrocchi issue

New Delhi, Mar 1 (UNI) The Lok Sabha was today adjourned twice, this time till lunch, as the BJP-led Opposition disrupted the proceedings over the Quattrocchi issue.

As soon as the House assembled at 1130 hrs after the first adjournment, the Opposition members stood up to raise the issue again, but the Congress MPs tried to shout them down.

Sensing the mood of the House, Speaker Somnath Chatterjee adjourned the proceedings till 1400 hrs, within a minute of the Lok Sabha re-assembling.

Earlier, when the House met at 1100 hrs, the Opposition members were immediately on their feet with BJP Deputy Floor Leader V K Malhotra demanding a statement from Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the detention and release on bail of Italian businessman Ottavio Quattrocchi, an accused in the Bofors kickbacks case.

As pandemonium continued for five minutes, Mr Chatterjee adjourned the house till 1130 hrs.

Quattrocchi was detained by Interpol in Argentina on February six. He was subsequently released on bail.

The Quattrocchi issue has been rocking both houses of Parliament ever since the Budget session began last week.

UNI