Opp allows Dy Speaker elect, nothing beyond

The unanimous election of senior Akali Dal MP Charanjit Singh Atwal as the Deputy Speaker of the Lok Sabha was the only business conducted i...

The unanimous election of senior Akali Dal MP Charanjit Singh Atwal as the Deputy Speaker of the Lok Sabha was the only business conducted in the House today. After the election, the BJP-led Opposition resumed its strategy of disrupting Parliament on the issue of 8216;8216;tainted8217;8217; ministers, forcing its adjournment.

The Deputy Speaker8217;s election was a repeat of the Speaker8217;s election last week 8212; all the party leaders congratulated him and promised their 8216;8216;full cooperation8217;8217; in running the House.

JDU leader Nitish Kumar and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee did inject a jarring note into the proceedings by obliquely criticising Speaker Somnath Chatterjee for his alleged unfairness towards the Opposition.

While felicitating the Deputy Speaker, Nitish Kumar reminded the Speaker that during his election, he Chatterjee had said that as a Leftist he would be partial to those sitting to his left 8212; namely, the Opposition benches. 8216;8216;But yesterday, you did not show any leaning towards the left,8217;8217; Kumar said, adding that he hoped he would do so in future.

Banerjee, who agitated against the Speaker both inside and outside the precincts of the Lok Sabha yesterday, said she hoped 8216;8216;Aap Opposition ko zaroor take care karenge8217;8217;. Pat came Chatterjee8217;s reply: 8216;8216;Thank you very much for reminding me of my duty8217;8217;.

A little later, newly-elected lone AIMIM member, Asauddin Owaisi, took the House by surprise. 8216;8216;I strongly take objection to the aspersions cast on the Chair 8230; yesterday I was pained to hear certain remarks being made outside and now they are saying it inside,8217;8217; he said. When Opposition members tried to intervene, Owaisi became even more forceful. 8216;8216;I am not a hypocrite,8217;8217; he said.

Atwal said he looked forward to the cooperation of all 8216;8216;in conducting the business of the House smoothly8217;8217;.

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Within minutes, though, there was chaos in the House. Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee began reading out his statement on the Kargil issue but nothing could be heard in the din created by NDA MPs. The Speaker asked Mukherjee to table the statement and adjourned the House till 2 pm. He later adjourned the House for the day.