The BJP and its allies today mounted an attack against the Congress and other Opposition parties in the Lok Sabha. While Samata Party MPs, supported by the BJP, launched a tirade against the RJD government in Bihar for the ‘‘growing anarchy’’ in state, the BJP attacked Punjab CM Amarinder Singh’s campaign against former chief minister Parkash Singh Badal. The CPI(M) MPs wondered why state issues were being raised in the House and charged that the House has been reduced to a ‘‘bazaar’’. The Congress, at the receiving end, had a tough time defending its position in both states. Soon after question hour, Speaker Manohar Joshi allowed BJP MP V.K. Malhotra to say that Badal was being victimised by the Congress though vigilance inquiries and raids on his property in Punjab. When ‘Mr’ Rajiv Shukla became ‘Mrs’ Shukla NEW DELHI: Members present in the Rajya Sabha today burst into laughter when Chairman Bhairon Singh Shekhawat addressed Congress member Rajiv Shukla as ‘‘Mrs’’ Rajiv Shukla. This happened during Question Hour when the House took up a question regarding increase in dowry-related cases. After main questioners M.M. Agarwal and Raju Parmar completed asking their supplementaries, Shekhawat said only women members could ask further questions. As Shukla rose in his seat to put a query, the Chairman addressed him as ‘‘Mrs’’ Rajiv Shukla, sending the House into peals of laughter. (PTI) To this, CPI(M) MP Somnath Chatterjee said: ‘‘Who is going to answer to this discussion? The Congress? Such issues should not be raised in the House.’’ The Congress contended that party MP Jagmeet Brar must be allowed to put across the party’s side to the issue or else ‘‘we will not allow anyone from the ruling party to speak, including the Prime Minister,’’ said Satyavrat Chaturvedi. Brar said the BJP was raising the issue of corruption now because of the forthcoming elections in four states. To this, BJP MP Madan Lal Khurana waved documents saying he has proof. The Congress dared him to authenticate and table the papers, which Khurana did eventually. This was followed by Samata Party MPs led by Prabhunath Singh raising the issue of the sorry state of law and order in Bihar. These allegations were sought to be countered by RJD MP Raghuvansh Prasad. After noting the zero hour was coming to an end without discussion, the CPI (M) protested at the quality of issues being raised in the House. As they started to stage a walkout alleging the House had become a ‘‘bazaar,’’ the Speaker adjourned the Lok Sabha for lunch.
