LS adjourned till 1600 hrs on the Nandigram issue

New Delhi, Mar 20: The Lok Sabha was adjourned today till 1600 hrs as the CPI(M)-led left front members did not allow the Leader of the Opposition L K Advani to make a statement on the violence at Nandigram in West Bengal.

The House was forced to adjourn first at the commencement of the day's sitting till noon as the Opposition remained adamant on its demand to suspend the Question Hour and take up the Nandigram violence for discussion.

As the House reassembled at 1200 hrs, slogan-shouting left members disrupted Mr Advani, who was allowed to speak over the Nandigram issue, after Speaker Somnath Chatterjee rejected an adjournment motion over the matter moved by the BJP leader.

Despite the Chair's repeated requests, members of the left party went on shouting that it was a State matter and thus could not be discussed in the House.

Mr Advani sought to know from the Government what steps they would take against the West Bengal government where ''State-sponsored action has terrorised the people and resulted in the death of innocent farmers''.

Mr Advani was repeatedly disrupted by the Treasury benches as the members of the Left parties were on their feet and objecting to Mr Advani's statement, forcing the Speaker to adjourn the House till 1600 hrs.

UNI