NEWSLINKS US EDITION COLUMNISTS DIARY SPECIALS INTERVIEWS CAPITAL BUZZ REDIFF POLL THE STATES ELECTIONS ARCHIVES SEARCH REDIFF
The Congress on Friday staged a walkout from the Lok Sabha during zero hour in protest against the government's refusal to constitute a joint parliamentary committee on the Tehelka issue.
Raising the issue, senior Congress member Madhavrao Scindia told Speaker G M C Balayogi that the government's argument against constitution of a JPC citing the inquiry by the Venkataswamy Commission was ridiculous.
Scindia pointed out that the Verma and Jain commissions were simultaneously inquiring into the assassination of the former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi.
Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pramod Mahajan told the House that the government would take a final view on constituting a JPC on the Tehelka affair only after a discussion in the House.
"I cannot promise that at zero hour the government will start forming the JPC," Mahajan pointed out.
This provoked Congress members, including party chief Sonia Gandhi, to walk out of the House.
Indian Union Muslim League member G M Banatwala also joined the walk-out.
Following this, Samajwadi Party's Akhilesh Pratap Singh rushed to the well of the House along with his party colleagues accusing the government of hoodwinking the country.
The SP members shouted slogans of 'raksha sauda bandh karo' (stop corruption in defence deals) and 'desh ke lootere ko giraftar karo' (arrest those who cheated the nation).
They returned to their seats heeding the Speaker's appeal for order.
ALSO SEE Lok Sabha adjourned sine die
The Complete Coverage | Defence sites
Back to top
Tell us what you think of this report
