Day after quiet, NDA noise brings down House

Malhotra also clarified that the NDA would not target just the small fry in the Congress but train their guns on PM Manmohan Singh and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi for failing to deliver justice even 20 years after the pogrom that left more than 4,000 Sikhs dead.

While Malhotra had yesterday made much of the fact that ‘‘Sardar’’ Manmohan Singh had acquiesced with the ‘‘whitewash’’ report, exonerating Congress ministers who had masterminded the riots, today he targetted Sonia and alleged that she had put pressure on the PM in this regard.

Former PM A.B. Vajpayee also endorsed the demand. Before leaving Parliament House, Vajpayee said: ‘‘Those named by the Nanavati Commission, those who have been accused by it, should resign from the council of ministers.’’ On the NDA’s demand for the PM’s resignation, he said, ‘‘As PM, he is also responsible.’’

The decision to disrupt Parliament was taken at the BJP parliamentary party meeting this morning, and was endorsed by NDA leaders later. BJP leaders, who had yesterday said they would prefer a regular debate, were forced to change their minds due to the adverse criticism from within the party and the Akali Dal.

The NDA conveyed its decision at the customary 10.30 am meeting at the Lok Sabha Speaker’s chamber.

In view of the mood of the NDA leaders, as well as hostility of the Left and other UPA allies on the Nanavati Commission and ATR reports, the Congress too went along with the idea that the House be adjourned for the day.

Following this behind-the-scenes decision, the Lok Sabha met for barely five minutes before it was adjourned. The day began with Speaker Somnath Chatterjee paying tribute to the memory of freedom fighters on the 63rd anniversary of the Quit India Movement and victims of the atom bomb in Hiroshima and Nagasaki 60 years ago.

After a minute’s silence, the Lok Sabha plunged into premeditated pandemonium as BJP and Akali members — many of them waving copies of today’s The Indian Express — demanded action against the guilty of 1984 riots.

The Speaker said the House was deeply concerned about the issue and he had therefore allowed a discussion. But no orderly discussion could take place as Congress members started shouting about the Gujarat riots to match the NDA’s lungpower over Nanavati.

Similar scenes were witnessed in the Rajya Sabha, which was first adjourned for an hour, and then for the day.