Noisy protests against discussion on Itihas Pratham in RS

New Delhi, Mar 7 (UNI) The Rajya Sabha was adjourned for 10 minutes after being stuck in procedural wrangles and noisy protests in the well of the House by BJP members against allowing a discussion on 'Itihas Pratham', a history text published by the Madhyamik Shiksha Board of the Rajasthan Government.

As soon as Deputy Chairman K Rehman Khan allowed Congress member Santosh Bagrodia to raise the matter as the Chair had approved its mention, there were protests from the BJP benches stating that the mention would only 'waste' the time of the House. The objectionable portions and the chapter, the member seeking to intervene in, have been withdrawn and it would only be futile to allow such an exercise, they argued.

Mr Khan, on his part, said he allowed Mr Bagrodia to raise the matter but the BJP members had come out with an argument that these 'objectionable portions' had been withdrawn and were not taught in the schools. ''I leave it to the Member (to raise the issue) in the light of Opposition's objections. If you still insist, I will pose the issue before the Chair,'' he said.

When Mr Bagrodia and other Congress MPs persisted with their demand, Mr Khan allowed Mr Bagrodia to speak, saying but he would not guarantee a conducive atmosphere in the House. As Mr Bagrodia rose to speak, there was a din in the House with BJP MPs walking into the well of the House and nothing could be heard in the commotion. When Congress MPs protested, Mr Khan said he had allowed the Member to raise the issue and he could not be faulted.

More trouble was to follow when the BJP members came to know that Mr Bagrodia's speech was taken on record, the members walked into the well of the House again forcing the Deputy Chairman to adjourn the House for 10 minutes.

When the House re-assembled, members took up a discussion on the plight of jute workers in West Bengal, but there was no mention of how the tangle was resolved in the chambers.

UNI