Deadlock over Delhi CM stalls Parliament again
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The logjam in Parliament continued for the second day Tuesday with the Opposition persisting with its demand for the ouster of Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit
following the government auditor's scathing report on wasteful spending in the run up to the 2010 Commonwealth Games.
Both Houses of Parliament were adjourned till 12 noon. The Lok Sabha met at 12 and was adjourned again till 2 pm.
The unrest had begun as soon as MPs met at 11 am with the Opposition clamouring for Ms Dikshit’s resignation in light of the report by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG).
As the Lok Sabha met, the BJP and its allies raised their demand saying the house should scrap the Question Hour and take up discussion on the CAG report tabled in Parliament Friday.
When Speaker Meira Kumar tried to bring calm to the House, some protesting MPs trooped towards her podium shouting anti-government slogans.
Ms Kumar then adjourned the House till noon. The scene in the Rajya Sabha was no different. BJP MPs gathered near the podium while members at the treasury benches held placards seeking Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi’s resignation over a state audit report which showed losses worth crores.
The ruckus forced Chairman Hamid Ansari to adjourn the Upper House till 12 noon. The BJP accused the government of shielding Ms Dikshit.
"The CAG report on CWG has indicted Ms Dikshit and the government is shielding her,” BJP MP Kirti Azad told reporters outside Parliament.
While the Opposition sticks to its demand of Ms Dikshit’s resignation and a debate on the audit report, the government has ruled out any such possibility unequivocally. "There is no indictment of anyone in the high office, leave aside that of ms Dikshit," information and broadcasting minister Ambika Soni told reporters Monday.
The Lok Sabha is also scheduled to discuss the controversial statement of sports minister Ajay Maken that the decision to appoint now jailed Suresh Kalmadi as the games organising committee chief was taken during the BJP rule.
The BJP-led NDA had Monday moved separate privilege notices in both Houses against Mr Maken for “misleading” the House on August 2.
The CAG reports also criticised the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) for appointing Mr Kalmadi, now in Tihar Jail on charges of alleged corruption, as the chief organiser despite serious objections from sports ministers.
Mr Maken last week said the paperwork was already signed by the BJP-led government that ensured Mr Kalmadi's appointment and there was little the Congress-led government could do to remove him.
He said he had not misled the house. “I have not misled the house. I stand by my statement that the PMO is not involved (in the appointment of Mr Kalmadi),” Mr Maken said in his defence.
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