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MPs' suspension rocks Lok Sabha, House adjourned twice

Last updated on: March 10, 2010 13:32 IST

Forcible eviction of seven Rajya Sabha members opposing the Women's Reservation Bill triggered massive uproar in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday, forcing two adjournments till 1400 hours.

When the House reassembled at noon after the first adjournment, members of Samajwadi Party, Rashtriya Janata Dal, Janata Dal-United and Lok Janshakti Party rushed menacingly to the well shouting 'marshal bulao' (call the marshals), prompting Speaker Meira Kumar to immediately adjourn the House till 1400 hours.

The Speaker could not even order laying of papers due to vociferous protests led by SP and RJD chiefs Mulayam Singh Yadav and Lalu Prasad, who too were in the well.

Noticing the aggressive nature of the protests, Kumar adjourned the House almost immediately after she came in. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Leader of the House Pranab Mukherjee and Leader of Opposition Sushma Swaraj were present in the House.

After the adjournment, Yadav and Prasad were seen urging Swaraj to take up the issue of using marshals to remove the suspended members from Rajya Sabha on Tuesday.

BJP leader Yashwant Sinha was heard asking the RJD and SP chiefs to go to the President and withdrawing support from the UPA.

Earlier, when the House assembled for the day, members of these parties criticised the government's "autocratic move" to pass the Bill in the Rajya Sabha.

At that time, the Speaker insisted on going ahead with the Question Hour and took up the first question. However, the members, including Yadav, Prasad and JD(U) chief Sharad Yadav, trooped into the well and shouted slogans protesting the manner in which the bill was adopted in the Upper House.

Amid the din, the Speaker adjourned the House till noon.

As tempers ran high in the House, Lok Sabha officials removed pen stands, notebooks and files kept on the Reporters' table and those on the table of the Secretary General apparently keeping in mind the unruly scenes witnessed in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday.

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