An aggressive Opposition on Monday stalled both Houses of Parliament demanding the removal of Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit following the report of the Comptroller and Auditor-General (CAG) citing huge financial irregularities during the 2010 Commonwealth Games.
Opposition members trooped into the well demanding Ms. Dikshit's resignation over the report tabled in Parliament on Friday. Uproarious scenes led to the adjournment of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha at noon.
In the Lok Sabha, the entire National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and the Left stormed the well over the CAG report. Samajwadi Party members waved photocopies of newspaper reports suggesting that Uttar Pradesh topped the list in terms of fake encounters even as Bahujan Samaj Party members tried to defend their leader (Mayawati) vociferously. Within minutes, Speaker Meira Kumar adjourned the House till noon.
However, the scene was no better when the Lok Sabha met again with an unrelenting Opposition sticking to its demands. In the melee, Deputy Speaker Karia Munda, who was in the Chair, asked for laying papers on the table and Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee introduced the Customs (Amendment and Validation) Bill, 2011. The Damodar Valley Corporation (Amendment) Bill, 2011 was introduced by Power Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde.
Papers laid amid din
In the Rajya Sabha, Chairman Hamid Ansari adjourned the House till noon after Opposition members raised the CAG issue and shouted slogans. The scene was repeated soon after it re-assembled for a second time and amid the din papers were laid on the table after which Deputy Chairman K. Rahman Khan adjourned the House for the day.
The NDA, which has already served a notice of privilege motion against Minister of State for Sports Ajay Maken, raised the issue of his statement on August 2 in which he had said that Suresh Kalmadi's appointment as CWG Organising Committee chief was done during the NDA rule in December 2003. The NDA had accused him of “misleading” the House. Sensing the Opposition mood, the government later agreed for a discussion on the matter on Tuesday under Rule 193.
