Mulayam assets issue leads to RS adjournment till 1200 hrs

New Delhi, Mar 1 (UNI) The Rajya Sabha was today adjourned till 1200 hrs after the Samajwadi Party members disrupted its proceedings, alleging that the CBI and the judiciary were being misused by the UPA government against party president and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav.

They were referring to yesterday's order of the Supreme Court to CBI to make preliminary investigations into the allegation against Mr Yadav of having acquired assets disproportionate to his source of income.

This is the fourth time since the House met for the Budget session last Friday that the House could not take up questions. On three occasions earlier, it was the Quattrocchi issue that led to disruption of the proceedings.

As soon as the House assembled this morning, Samajwadi Party members, led by party general secretaries Amar Singh and Shahid Siddiqui, rose up and demanded that the issue be taken up first.

Shouting slogans against the Congress-led UPA government, they rushed into the well of the House. They were soon joined in by TDP and AIADMK members.

Chairman Bhairon Singh Shekhawat ordered that the members' remarks be expunged from the record after his appeal to them to calm down fell on deaf ears.

There were heated exchanges with the treasury benches.

The noisy scene continued for about four minutes following which the Chairman ordered adjournment of the House till 1200 hrs.

UNI