Lok Sabha adjourned for the day

New Delhi, May 9 (UNI) The Lok Sabha was today adjourned for the day amid uproarious scenes of clamour by BJP members that the House take up for discussion the Setusamudram canal project.

As soon as the House assembled at 1500 hours after an adjournment on the alleged Gujarat fake encounter issue, Deputy Leader of BJP in Lok Sabha Vijay Kumar Malhotra stood up pleading with the Chair to permit a call attention motion on the status of the Setusumdram project and charging that it was a design of the Treasury Benches not to allow a discussion on the subject.

This provoked the Treasury benches who stood on their seats raising loud protests. At this juncture, a number of Opposition members came to the well of the House, shouting slogans to the effect that a debate on the subject must take place.

On this, Mr Charanjit Singh Atwal pleaded for calm and said that he was not averse to allowing a discussion on the call attention, but needed a consensus of the House. He, however, said that under the normal business of the Lok Sabha, he was scheduled to take up matters under Rule 193.

At this point, senior BJP leader Kharabela Swain came to the well and cajoled the members from his party to go back to their seats.

Even while some members obliged him and started going back, the Chair declared the adjournment of the House till 1100 hrs tomorrow.

Earlier, the House was adjourned till 1500 hours on the issue of alleged fake encounter in Gujarat. The adjournment was the second in a day on the subject.

UNI