An unrelenting Opposition forced Parliament to be adjourned on Tuesday, even as Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Suresh Pachouri tried to read out a statement on fugitive Italian businessman Ottavio Quattrocchi.
Trouble started early, as National Democratic Alliance leaders raised slogans after Speaker Somnath Chatterjee ruled out suspension of the question hour as demanded by the Opposition parties. The commotion led to the House being adjourned till noon.
When the House re-assembled, the Opposition allowed some business, including the laying of the Economic Survey on the table of the House.
But when Pachouri's name was announced to read out the statement, the members of NDA and Samajwadi Party rushed to the well of the House, demanding that only Prime Minister Manmohan Singh be allowed to make a statement on the Quattrocchi issue.
A virtual din prevailed in the House and nothing was audible.
The Speaker then asked the minister to lay his statement on the table of the House and soon after adjourned the House for the day.
In the Rajya Sabha, the Bharatiya Janata Party-led opposition and Samajwadi Party members shouted slogans alleging suppression of information about Bofors payoffs accused Quattrocchi, his arrest and subsequent release in Argentina.
The Left was also on their feet but for a different issue--price rise and inflation.
Din prevailed in the House following which the Chair suspended the proceedings
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