Parliament adjourned till 1400 hrs, NDA demands JPC

New Delhi, Sep 6 (UNI) Both Houses of Parliament were adjourned till 1400 hrs amid uproarious scenes with a determined Opposition demanding constitution of a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) to examine the 123 Agreement.

The proceedings of both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha were disrupted by the BJP-led Opposition, leading to two adjournments of both the Houses.

Today was the second consecutive day when the Chair was not allowed to continue with the business of the House. The government has not yielded to the demand of the Opposition for a JPC.

The two Houses were adjourned yesterday as well on the same issue.

The Lok Sabha, however, did see through the passage of two important Bills--without debate and amid the din.

The first related to Cigarettes and Other Tobaccco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Amendment Bill.

The second is an amendment of the Competition Act, 2002.

The Bills were passed after clause by clause consideration.

The Opposition has been demanding that the 123 agreement be gone into by the JPC rather than a panel comprising the UPA and the supporting left parties. It has been arguing that the fate of the Bill, which critically relates to national security and the country's nuclear sovereignty, cannot be decided by a ''private mechinism''.

Editors Pick up suitably from related series.

UNI