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RJD, SP members force Parliament's adjournment over Bihar

The Lok Sabha was today adjourned for 90 minutes, till 1330 hrs, when the Rashtriya Janata Dal and the Samajwadi Party members blocked the proceedings demanding that the resolution seeking the ratification of President's rule in Bihar be taken up in the Rajya Sabha.

As soon as the house assembled, the RJD and SP leaders alleged that the government was dragging its feet on the issue since it did not have the majority in the upper house.

Despite slogan-shouting, Speaker G M C Balayogi continued with the question hour.

Basudev Acharya (CPI-M) wanted to know whether the Lok Sabha secretariat had conveyed to the Rajya Sabha the passage of the resolution pertaining to the ratification of President's rule in Bihar. He was supported by Chandra Shekhar and I K Gujral. Intervening on behalf of the government, I&B Pramod Mahajan said the Lok Sabha secretariat was not obliged to inform the Rajya Sabha secretariat since it was not a bill but only a resolution.

This led to protests from opposition members who wanted to know whether the Lok Sabha secretariat had passed on the message to the Rajya Sabha.

Leader of Opposition Sharad Pawar said the government should inform the members when the resolution will be brought in the upper house. ''If the government gives a specific reply, I will persuade my friends (RJD and SP members) not to disturb the question hour.''

Mahajan said it was strange that a senior member like the leader of the opposition was seeking in the Lok Sabha a promise from the government about the agenda for the Upper House.

RJD and SP members, including Laloo Prasad Yadav and Mulayam Singh Yadav, rushed to the well of the house and squatted there for some time and raised slogans.

Amid the din, the speaker adjourned the house till 1330 hrs.

Chairman Krishan Kant too adjourned the Rajya Sabha for the day as the opposition stalled the proceedings, demanding that the house take up the resolution to ratify President's rule in Bihar, but the government declined to specify if it would bring the issue before the house.

The chairman, who had a tough time controlling the house, was forced to adjourn it till noon, about 45 minutes after the house assembled for the day.

When the house reassembled, the RJD and SP members again raised the Bihar issue, forcing the chair to adjourn it for the rest of the day.

Earlier, Parliamentary Affairs Minister P R Kumaramangalam told the house that the government would do nothing contravening the legal, democratic and constitutional provisions under any circumstances.

The government would certainly inform the house by March 8, what it proposed to do on the issue. The house was currently seized of discussions on motion of thanks to the President's address to the joint session of Parliament, he said.

The opposition members wanted the RS to take up the resolution clamping President's rule in Bihar as the Lok Sabha had already passed it. The members alleged that the BJP-led coalition was in the habit of ignoring the Rajya Sabha and cited the non-placing of the Prasar Bharati bill before it to justify their claims.

Kumaramangalam and leader of the house Sikander Bakht maintained that the government would do nothing that went against the established democratic practice and political decorum.

The opposition members insisted that the government give an assurance when it would bring the resolution before the house. The statements of the ministers deliberating on the options available to the government in the media was nothing but an insult to the house, they said.

Leader of Opposition Manmohan Singh urged the government to come up with the resolution before the house as the house already had a ''sad'' experience on the Prasar Bharati issue.

The chairman said there was no impropriety on part of the government as it had laid on the table of the house the notification of imposition of President's rule in Bihar.

Quoting the ruling of November 4, 1986, of his predecessor, Krishan Kant said no one can force the government to move the ratification of presidential proclamation now. ''If they don't, the proclamation lapses,'' he added.

He also told the agitated RJD and SP members that he was ready to allow discussion on President's rule if they moved a motion seeking discussion on the recent killings in the state, and advised them not to club both the issues.

UNI

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