Lok Sabha adjourned till 1400 hrs on Indo-US nuke deal

New Delhi, Aug 16 (UNI) Lok Sabha was adjourned for the second time, till 1400 hrs, today when the Opposition remained adamant on its demand for discussion on notice against Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh for ''misleading the House'' on the Indo-US nuclear deal.

When the House re-assembled at 1130 hrs after half an hour of the first adjournment, BJP deputy leader of the House Vijay Kumar Malhotra stood up as soon as Speaker Somnath Chatterjee re-entered Lok Sabha and urged him to take up the notice given by him. To this, the Speaker replied that it was under his consideration as it was received only this morning in his room. Mr Chatterjee told Mr Malhotra '' You are not a new member...you know the procedures.'' But when the Opposition kept up the din in the House, the Speaker, while directing that nothing will be recorded, observed ''It is not my House alone....if you do not want it to run it will not run.'' Mr Chatterjee lamented that in spite of assurance given to him in his chamber, the Opposition was still disturbing the functioning of the House.

All through the commotion, Congress members Pranab Mukherjee and P R Dasmunsi sat silent but RJD's Lalu Prasad said something which could not be heard in the din.

When CPI(M) member Basudeb Acharia stood up to say something, the Speaker reacted sharply ''You cannot hold the House to ransom....

you alone are not concerned about the country I am also concerned about the country.'' As the commotion continued, Mr Chatterjee quipped ''I can only express my sorrow over what is happening in the House.'' When his pleas to members to let the House function did not elicit any positive response, he adjourned the House for the second time till 1400 hrs.

UNI