Parliament paralysed again, Opposition for PM`s resignation

New Delhi: With a series of scams battering the government, Parliament was paralysed again on Monday as an aggressive Opposition demanded the resignation of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Union ministers PK Bansal and Ashwani Kumar. Meeting in the backdrop of Congress rejecting the demand for resignation of the Railway Minister and the Law Minister, Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha saw two adjournments before lunch break.

Parliament has not been able to function since the second phase of the Budget session started on April 22. Disorder was the order of the day as the two Houses assembled at 11 am after a weekend break during which Bansal came under a cloud after the arrest of his nephew by CBI on bribery charges in connection with a plum posting in Railways. The twin issues of coal scam and allegations of bribery in connection with senior-level postings in the Railways took prominence as BJP and Left members stormed into the Well in Lok Sabha and BJP in Rajya Sabha. The protests were more marked as the proceedings were held close on the heels of the CBI Director admitting before the Supreme Court that certain changes were made in the coalgate draft report on suggestions given by Kumar and officials of the PMO. Akali Dal members also forcefully raised the issue of the acquittal of Congress leader Sajjan Kumar in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots case and demanded setting up of a Supreme Court-monitored Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe allegations against him afresh. SP members in Lok Sabha raised the issue of immediate implementation of the Sachar Committee recommendations for welfare of Muslims. PTI