Oppn disrupts RS proceedings, demanding JPC over nuclear deal

New Delhi, Sep 5 (UNI) The Indo-US nuclear deal issue continued to rock the Rajya Sabha today, forcing its adjournment thrice within an hour with the Opposition demanding constitution of a Joint Parliamentary Comittee (JPC) to examine the deal.

The sloganeering Opposition members virtually disrupted the entire Question Hour over their demand.

As soon as the House assembled for the day and the obituary refrences to the death of two former members of the House Ashish Sen and Banarsi Das Gupta were made, BJP members, including Ms Sushma Swaraj and Mr Murli Manohar Joshi, along with those of AIADMK and TDP stood up and demanded the formation of a JPC to look into the nuclear deal.

Chairman Hamid Ansari appealed to them to resume their seats and let the Question Hour proceed, but the members continued to make their demand vociferously.

Later, as the Chairman asked the questioners to proceed with their supplementaries and directed the Ministers concerned to reply, some of the protesting members trooped into the well of the House shouting slogans like ''We will not tolerate insult to Parliament'', ''We want JPC'', ''UPA Govt show some sense''.

The House during this period saw Minister of Information and Broadcasting Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi and Minister for Rural Development Raghuvansh Prasad Singh replying to the supplementaries, but their answers were inaudible in the din.

Meanwhile, some Opposition members sat in the well of the House, and some got involved in a noisy and heated exchange with members of the Treasury Benches, some of whom had also moved from their seats to counter the slogan-shouting Opposition members.

The din made the whole exercise of carrying on with the Question Hour futile, and ultimately forced the Chair to adjourn the House for 10 minutes.

When the same situation continued after the House re-assembled, Mr Ansari announced further adjournment till 1200 hrs.

However, as soon as the House assembled for Zero Hour at 1200 hrs after the second adjourment, opposition members led by the BJP, were again on their feet, shouting slogans and demanding a JPC.

The agitating members trooped into the well of the House shouting slogans ''Call JPC, save the country.'' Deputy Chairman Rahman Khan was unmoved and called for normal business of the House.

CPM member Sitaram Yechuri presented the 123rd Report of the Department Related Standing Committee on Transport while Mr Chandran Pillai laid the Report of the Department Related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Labour.

Even as the Reports were presented, the Opposition continued slogan shouting. The ruckus continued for five minutes after which the Deputy Chairman adjourned the House till 1400 hrs.

UNI