RS adjourned till 1400 hrs on JK, Gujarat issues

New Delhi, May 3: The Rajya Sabha was adjourned till 1400 hrs after 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 tried to counter 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 Ali Shah Geelani in Srinagar recently.

Ms Swaraj also said that anti-national speeches were made by the Hurriyat leader and some other people.

Pointing out that the BJP had earlier given a notice to the Chair on March 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.

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

Mr Shekhawat also said he was willing to give opportunities to everyone for raising the issues. However, all his pleas fell on deaf ears, forcing him to adjourn the House till 1400 hrs.

UNI