Govt embarrassed in LS; Raghuvansh withdraws comments

New Delhi, Apr 30 (UNI) The UPA government was subjected to acute embarrassment in the Lok Sabha today when Rural Development Minister Raghuvansh Prasad Singh was forced by an agitated opposition and Speaker Somnath Chatterjee to withdraw his unparliamentary language against Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

The issue was raised by Prabhunath Singh (JD-U) immediately after question hour, demanding a public apology from the Minister or his dismissal from the Cabinet by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

NDA members trooped into the well and stalled the proceedings for over 10 minutes as the Minister sought to justify his comments, stating that the use of such language as ''jeeb khinchunga'' (I will pull out your tongue) was a common and accepted idiom in rural areas and he had to resort to such expressions as the state government had raised doubts over the intentions of central ministers.

The Speaker said he did not approve of such words and urged the Minister to withdraw those words. ''Whatever may be the provocation, such language should have been avoided.'' Mr Raghuvansh Prasad first said if he had used unparliamentary words these could be expunged, but the opposition maintained that there was nothing to be expunged as the Minister had not made the comments inside the House and that he should withdraw the objectionable remarks.

''I withdraw this idiom,'' said the Minister as the opposition kept up its demand and stalled the proceedings.

The Minister said he had used such a harsh language as Mr Nitish Kumar and other state ministers were accusing the Centre, whereas the state government had failed to utilise funds sanctioned by the Centre for National Highway Development Programme, Rashtriya Samvikas Yojna and Backward Regions Fund.

UNI