Maharashtra violence forces LS adjournment three times

New Delhi, Mar 3 (UNI) Violence against north Indians in Maharashtra and Home Minister Shivraj Patil's tepid intervention rocked the Lok Sabha today with the Opposition forcing three adjournments, demanding intervention by the Centre.

While Speaker Somnath Chatterjee adjourned the House twice in the pre-lunch session, Deputy Speaker Charnjit Singh Atwal adjourned it for ten minutes in the post-lunch session when Janata Dal(U) members created ruckus over the Home Minister's tepid response.

Order was restored when Mr Atwal assured the House that Mr Patil will make a statement tomorrow. To this, the Home Minister agreed but not before completing his interjection which JD(U) members had earlier not allowed him, leading to ruckus and forcing the Deputy Speaker to order adjournment.

When Mr Patil, reading from a prepared text, said he had not yet gone through members' statements on the issue, Mr Prabhunath Singh and Mr Rajiv Ranjan of JD(U) stood up protesting the Home Minister's apathy on the issue. To which, Mr Patil replied he would not be cowed down by protests. This led to din in the House.

In spite of repeated requests by the Chair to allow the Home Minister complete his sentence, the JD(U) protestors remained unmoved and kept on shouting with Mr Madhusudan Mistry(Cong) trying to counter it in vain. The Deputy Speaker adjourned the House for ten minutes till 1430 hrs.

On resumption, the Deputy Speaker informed the House that Mr Patil will make a statement tomorrow. However, he allowed the Home Minister to complete his earlier interjection in which Mr Patil said he was collecting information on Maharashtra violence but also added he was ready to make a statement anytime if directed by the Chair.

Earlier, in the pre-lunch session the Speaker adjourned the House, first for 10 minutes till 1200 hrs, and then at 1220 hrs, till 1400 hrs, as Opposition members were on their feet, seeking an explanation from the government.

Pandemonium prevailed X X X Eds: picking up here from line one para three of PAR 2, PARLIAMENT-BIHARIS-LS.

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