Click to play videoNew Delhi: Wearing black bands across their mouths, Opposition MPs staged a dramatic protest Tuesday outside Parliament House against the speaker's "gag order" in refusing to take up their privilege motion and said they were boycotting proceedings for the day.
All the Lok Sabha MPs of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), led by Leader of Opposition L K Advani, congregated outside the Gandhi statue in front of Parliament House.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) deputy leader Vijay Kumar Malhotra had Monday given notice of a privilege motion against the government on the leakage of the R S Pathak panel report, which indicts former external affairs minister K. Natwar Singh for misusing his position in securing contracts in Iraq's oil-for-food scam.
Said Seshadri Chari, BJP spokesperson: "This is a gag order. All the Lok Sabha MPs will not attend the proceedings today. We are protesting Speaker Somnath Chatterjee's refusal to take up our privilege motion against the prime minister."
Rajya Sabha adjourned
Amidst vociferous demands by AIADMK for resignation of Finance Minister P Chidambaram, Rajya Sabha was adjourned till noon on Tuesday following allegations contained in a book on stock market linking the minister with Anil Agarwal, a majority stake-holder in BALCO.
Members of AIADMK, led by N Jyoti, trooped into the well of the House, shouting slogans "Chidambaram resign".
The Finance Minister, who was present in the House, remained unperturbed by the uproar. Chairman Bhairon Singh Shekhawat ruled that nothing would go on record except for the Question listed in the business.
"For a long time there has been no Question Hour. Let it be allowed to be taken up," he pleaded with the unrelenting members.
A few members were also seen waving copies of the book "Vedanta's Billions' on the stock market in India, in which they alleged, there were references linking Chidambaram with Agarwal, who has a majority stake in Sterlite Group, which has bought BALCO.
The AIADMK members were soon joined by Samajwadi Party members creating more din in the House.
Congress members V Narayansamy and Santosh Bagrodia were also on the legs while BJP members too rose from their seats.
In the prevailing pandemonium, Shekhawat adjourned the House till noon. But, even after the House was adjourned, the AIADMK members kept shouting and demanding resignation of Chidambaram.
(For updates you can share with your friends, follow IBNLive on Facebook, Twitter and Google+)
displayed with permission. Use of the CNN name and/or logo on or as part of CNN-IBN does not derogate from the intellectual property rights of Cable News Network in respect of them.