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Turmoil in LS over PAC report on Kargil purchases
New Delhi, Aug 07: Lok Sabha was today plunged in turmoil as an agitated opposition led by Congress stalled proceedings demanding privilege action against Defence Minister George Fernandes for denial of CVC report on Kargil arms purchases to the Public Accounts Committee.
New Delhi, Aug 07: Lok Sabha was today plunged in turmoil as an agitated opposition led by Congress stalled proceedings demanding privilege action against Defence Minister George Fernandes for denial of CVC report on Kargil arms purchases to the Public Accounts Committee.
Slogan-shouting Congress and Samajwadi Party members stormed the well pressing for resignation of the Defence Minister, forcing Speaker Manohar Joshi to first adjourn the House for 30 minutes and later for 90 minutes.
As the House assembled for Question Hour, the opposition members were on their feet demanding that their notices of adjournment motion be taken up immediately to discuss the PAC issue.
The matter also figured in the Rajya Sabha with opposition members wanting to know why full information was not provided to the PAC by the government on purchases for Kargil operation.
Attacking the government of its "obstructive" attitude to cripple the functioning of an important parliamentary committee, CPI(M) leader Somnath Chatterjee said in Lok Sabha that Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee must come to the House to clarify the matter.
Considering the seriousness of the issue, he said the adjournment motion must be admitted and the Question Hour suspended.
Amid heated exchanges with the ruling NDA members, Congress chief whip P R Dasmunsi threatened that the opposition would not cooperate with the government in conducting the business "if they don't behave properly".
Congress member S Jaipal Reddy said for the first time PAC had expressed its inability to give an assessment, resulting in "a constitutional deadlock". He said the PAC unanimously felt that Fernandes was guilty of breach of privilege.
Angered over Reddy's remarks, BJP chief whip V K Malhotra said majority of the PAC members felt that the committee's report was "false and wrong", triggering vociferous protests from opposition members.
Malhotra charged that even before the report was presented in Parliament, its contents were "leaked" to the media.
The PAC, in its report, said it was strange that the defence ministry took the secrecy plea to deny documents to it while a private person had been privy to top secret documents.
The PAC said the Comptroller and Auditor General had suggested that the committee, during its probe, should also refer to the report of the Central Vigilance Commission on defence deals during the Kargil conflict.
Bureau Report
As the House assembled for Question Hour, the opposition members were on their feet demanding that their notices of adjournment motion be taken up immediately to discuss the PAC issue.
The matter also figured in the Rajya Sabha with opposition members wanting to know why full information was not provided to the PAC by the government on purchases for Kargil operation.
Attacking the government of its "obstructive" attitude to cripple the functioning of an important parliamentary committee, CPI(M) leader Somnath Chatterjee said in Lok Sabha that Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee must come to the House to clarify the matter.
Considering the seriousness of the issue, he said the adjournment motion must be admitted and the Question Hour suspended.
Amid heated exchanges with the ruling NDA members, Congress chief whip P R Dasmunsi threatened that the opposition would not cooperate with the government in conducting the business "if they don't behave properly".
Congress member S Jaipal Reddy said for the first time PAC had expressed its inability to give an assessment, resulting in "a constitutional deadlock". He said the PAC unanimously felt that Fernandes was guilty of breach of privilege.
Angered over Reddy's remarks, BJP chief whip V K Malhotra said majority of the PAC members felt that the committee's report was "false and wrong", triggering vociferous protests from opposition members.
Malhotra charged that even before the report was presented in Parliament, its contents were "leaked" to the media.
The PAC, in its report, said it was strange that the defence ministry took the secrecy plea to deny documents to it while a private person had been privy to top secret documents.
The PAC said the Comptroller and Auditor General had suggested that the committee, during its probe, should also refer to the report of the Central Vigilance Commission on defence deals during the Kargil conflict.
Bureau Report