Rajya adjourns for the day on Kashmir, Gujarat issues

New Delhi, May 3 (UNI) The Rajya Sabha was adjourned for the day today amid the din over members seeking a debate on the alleged fake encounters in Gujarat and the spurt in ''anti-national'' activities in Jammu and Kashmir.

As soon as the upper House reassembled at 1400 hrs after being adjourned earlier, the members were on their feet shouting slogans. No business could be taken up due to pandemonium.

Deputy Chairman K Rahman Khan, who was in the Chair, assured the members that every body will be given an opportunity to speak on the issue and they should allow Leader of the Opposition Jaswant Singh to speak first.

However, the members did not pay any heed to the Chair's request and the House was adjoured for the day.

Earlier, main Opposition BJP made a shrill demand for discussing the spurt in ''anti-national'' activities in Jammu and Kashmir while the CPM-Samajwadi Party combine countered it by seeking a debate on the fake encounters in Gujarat.

After the members had tabled the papers listed against their names in Zero Hour, BJP leader Sushma Swaraj raised the issue of banned militant outfit Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) hoisting Pakistani flag at a meeting of Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani in Srinagar recently.

Ms Swaraj pointed out that ''anti-national'' speeches were made by the Hurriyat leader and some others in the public meeting.

She noted that the BJP had given a notice to the Chair on April 26 for a discussion on ''this serious issue''.

She demanded that Leader of the Opposition Jaswant Singh be allowed to make a statement.

This was strongly refuted by CPM leader Brinda Karat and Samajwadi Party member Shahid Siddiqui, who raised the issue of the killings of Sohrabuddin and his wife Kausar Bi in alleged police encounters in Gujarat.

Chairman Bhairon Singh Shekhawat appealed to Ms Karat and Mr Siddiqui to give notices before demanding a discussion.

Mr Shekhawat said he was willing to allow everyone to speak over the issue but the assurance failed to bring order to the House.

UNI