| Alleging that the government had engaged in "fraud" by filing the second affidavit in the case involving former Defence Minister George Fernandes, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) demanded that Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee should resign. The BJP also accused him of "political vendetta" against Fernandes. |
| Both Houses were adjourned within an hour of being convened. The Opposition's contention was that by submitting "contradictory" affidavits in the Supreme Court, the government had made a "mockery" of the judicial system and demanded withdrawal of the fresh affidavit in which the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has been asked to probe 23 new charges against Fernandes. |
| In the Lok Sabha, the Opposition members trooped into the well raising slogans against Mukherjee. |
| As repeated pleas by Speaker Somnath Chatterjee to restore order failed to pacify the angry members, he adjourned the house for the day, but not before given a "public notice" that he would not do so from tomorrow under such circumstances "come what may". |
| Remarking that the government was engaging in immoral, illegal and unconstitutional acts owing to political vendetta, VK Malhotra (BJP) said Fernandes had been cleared by the Phukan Commission in the Tehelka scam. |
| Reacting to Malhotra's remarks, Mukherjee said if the Speaker allowed, the government was ready for a full-fledged discussion on the issue today. |
| Denying that the two affidavits were at variance, Mukherjee said the "law had taken its normal course" in the way the documents were filed. |
| The second affidavit claimed that of the deals scrutinised so far, certain defence procurements, including coffins, and the deals probed under the Tehelka scam, were being investigated by the CBI. |
| Hence, the first affidavit's contents did not hold good. If found guilty, the "strictest action" would be taken against Fernandes, it said. |
| Meanwhile, Asserting that there was "no misunderstanding" within his Cabinet on the affidavit in the Kargil arms purchase case, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said the government would make a statement in Parliament tomorrow on the case. |
| In the face of a stalemate in Parliament over the issue, Singh said the government had nothing to hide and was ready for any discussion in the two Houses. |
| "We are ready for any discussion. We have nothing to hide and the defence minister will make a statement in Parliament tomorrow," he told reporters on the sidelines of a military investiture ceremony in the Rashtrapati Bhavan. |
| The Prime Minister's remarks came in the wake of reports that there were differences between Law Minister HR Bhardwaj and the defence minister on the contents of the first affidavit filed by the government in the Supreme Court. |
| "You are reading too much into what is stated in the first affidavit," Singh said. Asked if there was any misunderstanding between the law minister and the defence minister on the issue, Singh said "there is no misunderstanding." |
| Similar scenes were witnessed in the Rajya Sabha, which, too, was adjourned for the day after an earlier adjournment failed to cool down the frayed tempers. |
| Treasury benches protested against the Chairman's permission to former Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha's notice in the issue without consulting them. |
| The BJP members had earlier stormed the well of the House when the Chairman had said he had received Sinha's notice and would consult the government before a discussion was allowed. |
| Fernandes, when asked why the BJP did not agree to a discussion, said it was not a matter of the affidavits alone. |
| "There are three issues-- affidavits, the Phukan Commission report and the Central Vigilance Commission report. All three have to be made public. Then we will agree to a discussion," he said. |
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