Chaos in House, bandh in J'khand

March 04, 2005

NDA on Thursday decided to stall Parliament proceedings in protest against the "undemocratic" manner in which Jharkhand Governor Syed Sibtey Razi invited JMM leader Shibu Soren to take oath as Chief Minister.

"It was unanimously decided we will fight together. Parliament would not be allowed to function," BJP spokesman V K Malhotra told reporters here after a meeting of NDA MPs chaired by Leader of Opposition L K Advani.

"The real murderers of democracy are in Delhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi are responsible for it," Malhotra quoted BJP President L K Advani as saying at the meeting.

Advani recalled the emergency in June 1975 and said what was happening now was almost similar to the situation then.

Former party President M Venkaiah Naidu and General Secretary Rajnath Singh informed the meeting of how the party MLAs who were coming to Delhi via West Bengal were stopped in that state and not allowed to proceed, Malhotra said.

He said almost all the MLAs have reached Delhi though "for strategic reasons I will not like to give details of their stay here."

Among those who attended the meeting included leaders of Shiv Sena, BJD, Akali Dal, JD(U), BJP and P C Thomas of the Federal Party.

Meanwhile, the Lok Sabha was adjourned till March 4 after the senior leaders created furore and stalled further proceedings.

Both Houses of Parliament witnessed pandemonium with BJP-led NDA vociferously protesting Jharkhand Governor's action in installing the Cong-JMM government in the state leading to adjournment of both the Houses.

The Rajya Sabha was adjourned till 2.00 pm by Chairman Bhairon Singh Shekhawat.

As soon as the Lok Sabha assembled, the NDA members were on their feet raising slogans to protest what they termed the "murder of democracy" in Jharkhand.

After being allowed by the Chair, BJP leader V K Malhotra said it was the "blackest day in the history of Indian democracy" as the Governor had sworn-in "a person who had murder cases against him in that very state".

The Speaker asked Malhotra not to drag in the Governor as it would be against the rules of Parliament.

But as Malhotra continued his attack charging the Congress leadership with "murdering democracy", Chatterjee adjourned the House till March 4.