Parliament disrupted over anti-Chidambaram protests

Dec 16, 2011 |

IANS

New Delhi

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Noisy protests by opposition members demanding removal of home minister P. Chidambaram stalled proceedings in both houses of Parliament on Friday, forcing cancellation of the crucial question hour.

Presiding officers of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha adjourned the houses till noon after the ruckus over Chidambaram, who is accused of quashing criminal cases against a businessman he represented as a lawyer in 1999.

In the Rajya Sabha, chairman Hamid Ansari tried to pacify the protesting Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) members, asking them to let the Question Hour continue after he had read an obituary reference of a former member.

The protesting MPs refused to let him read the obituary, angering Ansari.

"At least respect the dead if you cannot respect each other," Ansari said, bringing some calm in the house.

MPs stood in silence for sometime to mourn the death of the former member, but the din returned soon after.

"Since the Question Hour cannot be held, the house is adjourned till 12," Ansari said.

Similar protests were witnessed in the Lok Sabha, forcing Speaker Meira Kumar to adjourn the house till noon.

The BJP forced parliament to shut for the day Thursday without conducting any significant business alleging that Chidambaram had favoured S.P. Gupta, chairman of Sunair Hotels Pvt Ltd, by misusing his office for his "former client".

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