LS adjourns twice, to discuss Nuke deal at 1600 hrs

New Delhi, Sep 10: The BJP-led Opposition disrupted the proceedings of the Lok Sabha for the fourth consecutive day today demanding constitution of a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) to go into the Indo-US Nuke deal, forcing adjournment of the house till 1600 hrs. When the house meets again at 1600 hrs, it will take up for discussion, as per the slated business of the day, the statement made by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on August 13 this year regarding the civil energy cooperation with the United States.

Speaker Somnath Chatterjee had to adjourn the House within five minutes after the house began its day's sitting with the agitated Opposition members demanding suspension of the Question Hour to discuss the Nuke deal.

When the house reassembled at 1200 hrs, there was no change in the mood of the Opposition who rushed to the well of the house shouting slogans against the government for constituting the UPA-Left committee to go into the nuclear issue, instead of putting in its place a JPC.

Amid the din, the Chair rushed through the legislative business slated for the day and got the Aircraft (Amendment) Bill, 2006 passed by voice vote.

As the opposition persisted with its slogan shouting demonstration in the well of the House, the Speaker announced the adjournment of the House till 1600 hrs when the it would take up for discussion the Indo-US Nuke deal.

Earlier during the Question Hour, the lower House paid homage to victims of September 7 road accident in Rajasthan and yesterday's bridge collapse in Hyderabad.

Immediately, after this the Opposition members were on their feet, calling for the suspension of the Question Hour to discuss the nuclear issue.

BJP Deputy Leader Vijay Kumar Malhotra and JD (U) leader Prabhunath Singh said they had already given notices in this regard, but the Government did not want to debate the issue.

Speaker Chatterjee pleaded to the Opposition to allow the Question Hour to be taken up, but to no avail. He said there were many important matters listed on the agenda.

Mr Singh said he understood that price rise and farmers' problem were important matters, but he had given a notice for the suspension of the Question Hour to discuss the demand for the JPC.

He said the Government was not interested, prompting Parliamentary Affairs Minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi to state that nothing was being done to undermine the role of the Opposition as defined in the Constitution. It was, in fact, the Opposition stalling the proceedings.

At this, Mr Malhotra and other NDA members stood on their feet, but what the BJP Deputy leader said could not be heard in the din.

Amid the pandemonium, the Speaker adjourned the House till 1200 hrs within five minutes of its meeting.

UNI