LS adjourned till 12 on Oppn protests on expunged debate being re-recorded

Lok Sabha proceedings were adjourned till 12 noon on Tuesday after opposition members strongly protested against an expunged portion of Monday's debate being re-recorded.

When the House met at 11 AM, Congress leader in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury raised the issue of the expunged portion of the comments made by BJP member Nishikant Dubey being re-recorded.

Speaker Om Birla said the member, who chairs any proceeding of the House, has full authority to take any decision.

The speaker does not give any instruction, he said.

As the opposition members continued their protests, Birla asked them whether they were interested in allowing the House to function.

Don't you want to allow the House to function? Question Hour is very important but you don't want to take part in it, he said and adjourned the House till 12 noon.

On Monday, Dubey had raised in Lok Sabha the issue of a news report in the New York Times which claimed that web portal NewsClick has received Rs 38 crore funding and the money has been used to create an anti-India environment.

Dubey alleged that NewsClick is a member of anti-India 'Tukde Tukde' gang, and demanded that the Government investigate the beneficiaries of the fundings.

"... Between 2005 and 2014, Chinese Government has paid money to Congress .... Congress wants to divide India ...," Dubey alleged, amid opposition uproar.

Later, a mail issued by the Lok Sabha secretariat said that some portions of Dubey's speech was expunged from the records.

However, late in the evening some parts of these expunged portions were uploaded on Lok Sabha website.

Officials told journalists that whatever was uploaded in the website was final.