New Delhi: Proceedings in the Lok Sabha were disrupted on Tuesday when members of BJP and DMK clashed over issues to be taken up for discussion. BJP members wanted an immediate discussion on corruption in the backdrop of Anna Hazare's agitation, while the DMK pressed for a debate on Sri Lankan Tamils which was listed in the agenda.
The House saw two adjournments - first soon after it met for the day and then at noon till 2 PM.
When the House met at noon for Zero Hour, Speaker Meira Kumar ordered laying of papers and then called DMK leader TR Baalu to speak on the issue of relief and resettlement of Sri Lankan Tamils.
This enraged BJP members who stormed the well raising slogans, saying they had been promised that the corruption issue would be taken up soon after the papers were laid.
They said a special discussion on corruption was agreed to in the morning after Leader of the Opposition Sushma Swaraj made a strong plea for it in the House.
As soon as the BJP members came into the well, they were followed by DMK members who vociferously sought a discussion on the Sri Lankan Tamil issue.
The Speaker asked Baalu to begin his speech on the Tamil issue and promised that the debate on corruption would be taken up after that. But BJP members were unrelenting and continued to raise slogans.
Kumar, while urging the BJP members to return to their seats, asked Baalu to keep his speech brief.
But as the BJP members continued to insist on the debate on corruption to be taken up first, she agreed.
This angered DMK members who once again trooped into the well. As Congress members and some ministers like Sis Ram Ola and Kumari Selja egged the DMK members on, Baalu was heard saying he has already started speaking on the Sri Lankan issue.
Amid uproar, the Speaker adjourned the House till 2 PM.
Earlier, the Opposition members were on their feet demanding suspension of Question Hour to discuss the issue of corruption.
The Speaker said there was no rule to allow suspension of the Question Hour. However, as a special case she would allow leaders of parties to put forth their views and take up the Question Hour thereafter.
When Speaker called Swaraj, she made references to several scams allegedly involving some Union ministers with Parliamentary Affairs Minister P K Bansal objecting to it.
Bansal suggested that if the members were keen, the Speaker can have a discussion on corruption under Rule 193, which entails a short duration debate without any provision for voting.
But the din continued, with SP members raising problems of farmers in Uttar Pradesh. The Speaker then adjourned the proceedings till noon.
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