The demands for sacking Home Minister P Chidambaram for reportedly helping a hotelier and dismissal of Karnataka government for alleged atrocities on Marathi-speaking people today disrupted Parliament, forcing its adjournment virtually without conducting any business.
The only business transacted was the passage of the Supplementary Demands for Grants for Railways for 2011-12 in the Lok Sabha by a voice vote amid vociferous slogan-shouting by Opposition members.
Railway Minister Dinesh Trivedi could not reply to the debate, which took place yesterday, and just laid the speech on the table of the House.
Trouble started as soon as the House met for the day with AIADMK and Left members trooping into the Well demanding sacking of Chidambaram. BJP members were also on their feet raising slogans.
NDA partner Shiv Sena members raised slogans holding placards demanding dismissal of the BJP government in Karnataka for alleged atrocities on Marathi-speaking people living on the Karnataka-Maharashtra border. NCP members also joined them in raising slogans.
Samajwadi Party MPs were also in the Well demanding sacking of Mayawati government over reports that BSP ministers were getting tractors at subsidised rates under a central scheme meant for drought-hit Bundelkhand region.
Similar scenes were noticed in the Rajya Sabha where members of even the ruling UPA ally NCP joined those from Shiv Sena in the Well raising slogans and carrying placards to demand dismissal of the Karnataka government.
BJP and other members in the Upper House raised slogans demanding resignation of Chidambaram for allegedly misusing his office to help a former client by directing Delhi Police to close FIRs against him.