RS Adjourned twice over Nandigram Killings

New Delhi, Mar 19 (UNI) The Nandigram Killings continued to rock the Rajya Sabha today -- forcing adjournment of the Upper House twice before Lunch.

The House was forced to adjourn first at the commencement of the day's sitting -- at 1100hrs till noon -- when National Democratic Alliance members demanded suspension of the Question Hour to discuss the ''grave issue'' of the Nandigram violence.

And when it reassembled at the stroke of twelve, the agitation of the NDA brigade once again kept the House away from transacting any meaningful business.

Deputy Chairman K Rahman Khan, however, managed to push through the tabling of certain papers in the House -- and then was forced to announce the second adjournment of the day -- till 1400hrs -- in the face of continued slogan shouting by NDA members.

Earlier, as soon as the House assembled for the day and Chairman Bhairon Singh Shekhawat directed that Questions be taken up, NDA Members -- including Mr Dinesh Trivedi of the Trinamool Congress and led by Ms Sushma Swaraj of the Bharatiya Janata Party -- stood up angrily demanding suspension of the Question Hour to discuss the Nandigram issue.

However, Left Members -- including Ms Brinda Karat and Mr Sitaram Yechuri of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) -- opposed the NDA demand and urged the Chairman to go ahead with the Questions.

Mr Shekhawat also pointed out to the NDA members that a notice for discussing the issue was already before the House and ''the discussion can take place after the Question Hour''.

But the NDA Members remained unrelenting.

Ms Swaraj maintained that the issue was ''very grave'' and the NDA wanted to share with the House what its delegation members on their fact-finding mission to Nandigram had seen with their own eyes there.

She said ''unbelievable atrocities'' had taken place on the innocent farmers in Nandigram which should be placed before the House.

Meanwhile, the Left Members continued to insist on going ahead with the Question Hour.

Finding it impossible to continue with the proceedings in the resulting din, the Chair announced adjournment of the House till 1200 hrs.

During the last week also, the House could not carry out listed business due to frequent adjournments over the issue.

UNI