LS, RS adjourned:Oppn demands PM's resignation over Coalgate

New Delhi, Aug 21: Both Houses of Parliament were adjourned for the day after a vociferous opposition demanded the resignation of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in the wake of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report on the

scam.

With BJP members shouting slogans against the government and those from the Treasury Benches countering them almost in equal measure, Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar first announced an adjournment till noon.

When the Lower House reconvened, the opposition again trained its guns on the PM who held the Coal portfolio during 2006 to 2009.

The CAG had estimated that 100 private firms made "undue gains" amounting to nearly Rs 1.86 lakh crore when the UPA government allocated 57 coal fields between 2005 and 2009 without competitive bidding.

Citing the immense loss to the exchequer, BJP members today said that Manmohan Singh must resign immediately. MPs from other parties in the NDA supported this demand as did AIADMK, Left and TDP members.

Most Congress MPs were also on their feet and tried their best to shout down the opposition. Since the Speaker's repeated pleas for calm fell on deaf ears, she adjourned the House till tomorrow.

Similar furore was witnessed in the Rajya Sabha where Ravi Shankar Prasad and M Venkaiah Naidu led the BJP's concerted attack on the PM.

Meanwhile, Left MPs stressed that the government must clarify its position regarding the three CAG reports on the allocation of coal blocks, use of surplus power by a leading company and the Delhi International Airport Limited.

Simultaneously, Samajwadi Party members slammed Union Steel Minister Beni Prasad Verma's comment that high inflation helps farmers.

Though Rajya Sabha Chairman Hamid Ansari requested the MPs to maintain order, the din continued. Hence, he ordered an adjournment till 12 pm.

When the Upper House reassembled, the Prime Minister proposed the name of PJ Kurien for the post of Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman.

After the senior Congress leader from Kerala was unanimously elected, the opposition started raising slogans against the PM. Then Kurien adjourned the Rajya Sabha for the day.

OneIndia News