ASSEMBLY POLL '98
COMMENTARY
SPECIALS
INTERVIEWS
CAPITAL BUZZ
REDIFF POLL
DEAR REDIFF
THE STATES
YEH HAI INDIA!
ELECTIONS '98
ARCHIVES

Mamta's Friday fireworks continue to rock lower house

Lok Sabha proceedings came to a halt today till 1400 hrs when slogan shouting Rashtriya Loktantrik Morcha members stormed into the well demanding action against Mamta Banerjee for Friday's incidents, forcing two adjournments (the house was stalled throughout Friday also).

When the house assembled after the first adjournment, RLM members once again rushed into the well of the house and raised slogans against Banerjee, who was sitting in the first row of the treasury benches.

''Dalit akliat aur pichhra karo vichar kab tak sahogey hatyachar (dalit, minorities and backwards, think over how long you will be at the receiving end)," they said, referring to lack of reservation for these sections in the proposed women's bill.

Speaker G M C Balayogi met the floor leaders of political parties immediately after the first adjournment of the Lok Sabha for two hours in a bid to find a solution to the vexed issue of action against Mamta Banerjee and the SP member Daroga Prasad Saroj. There was, however, no unanimity and the leaders left it to the speaker to decide the nature of action against both the members.

On Friday Mamta Banerjee had caught Saroj by the scruff of his collar in a bid to prevent him from reaching the speaker's podium.

Security in the Lok Sabha was tightened, with security staff posted at the visitor's gallery. Visitors were not allowed to be seated in the first two rows.

When the house assembled after the first adjournment, the RLM members rushed to the well shouting slogans and ignored all pleas by the presiding officer Yerram Naidu.

Naidu repeatedly requested the members to resume their seats but they refused to budge. He then adjourned the house.

Balayogi had a meeting with the floor leaders for about an hour to sort out the issue but no solution emerged. He is scheduled to have a separate meeting with leader of the opposition Sharad Pawar, Mulayam Singh Yadav and the two aggrieved parties before taking a final decision in the matter. Both Banerjee and Saroj have given notices to the speaker demanding action against each other. In all likelihood the speaker may refer the entire issue to the privileges committee.

UNI

Tell us what you think of this report