SP for restoration of normalcy in House, debate on coal issue

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With Parliament proceedings continuing to be disrupted on the coal block allocation issue, Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav on Thursday met leaders of CPI, CPI(M) and TDP and decided to hold a dharna on Friday to demand restoration of normalcy in the House and a debate on the issue.

The meeting came in the backdrop of Parliament failing to transact any business for almost two weeks now, with the BJP continuing to create ruckus by pressing its demand for resignation of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the issue.

Other Opposition parties, even those from the BJP-led NDA like JD(U) and Akali Dal, do not favour disruption of proceedings and have been demanding debate on the CAG report into the coal block allocation and other business.

Apart from Yadav himself, sources said the meeting was attended by CPI(M) leader Basudeb Acharia, CPI's Gurudas Dasgupta and TDP's Nama Nageshwar Rao.

The leaders of these parties decided to hold a sit-in of their MPs inside the Parliament House complex on Friday.

The sources said MPs of some other non-UPA parties are also likely to join the dharna and talks were on with them.

Both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha have been witnessing unruly scenes since last week, with BJP members trooping into the Well and shouting slogans leading to adjournments.

The Prime Minister's statement on the coal allocation issue was listed for discussion in both houses of Parliament.