Tainted ministers trouble CPI: Dasgupta

After its sustained opposition to the increase in the foreign direct investment (FDI) limit in the insurance, telecom and civil aviation sectors, a member of the Left coalition found a new issue to beat the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government with.

The CPI on Thursday declared that the induction of tainted ministers made it feel "uncomfortable". "But this does not mean that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has any moral high ground when it comes to raising the issue," said Gurudas Dasgupta of the CPI.

Earlier, PK Vasudevan Nair said the CPI stood for exposing corruption in public life. "I was a member of the second, third and fourth Lok Sabha and things were different then," he said.

Referring to the Opposition-led protest in the House over the issue, he said: "It is an uncomfortable situation when there is such behaviour in Parliament."

Dasgupta defended Coal Minister Shibu Soren saying the revival of a case almost three decades old was politically motivated.

"When LK Advani distinguishes between a criminal case and the destruction of the Babri Masjid saying the latter was part of a national movement, he forgets that the Chir-udih case was also part of a political movement for the state of Jharkhand," said Dasgupta.

"While the destruction of the Babri Masjid divided the whole nation, the Jharkhand movement was for self determination," he said.

But Dasgupta could not resist saying he was uncomfortable over the induction of "tainted ministers" in the Union council of ministers.

In the Lok Sabha, Opposition and Treasury benches almost came to blows over the Soren issue. As soon as the House convened, Advani demanded a statement by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on one of the Union ministers evading arrest.

Opposition members were raising slogans like Shibu lao sansad bachao. When Speaker Somnath Chatterjee's bid to restore order failed, he adjourned the House for 15 minutes.

The break did not cool tempers. When the House reconvened, Opposition members again trooped into the well. Anant Geete's (Shiv Sena) question to the chair "is this the way to run the House" irked the ruling combine MPs, who, led by Rashtriya Janata Dal members, too rushed to the well.

The situation could be salvaged after the intervention by Railway Minister Lalu Prasad and Water Resources Minister PR Dashmunsi.