Uproar over Lalu, Paswan spat in House

NDA to bring privilege motion

The Lok Sabha was adjourned, for the first time in the current session, today as the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) members raised the issue of the spat between Railway Minister Lalu Prasad and Chemicals Minister Ram Vilas Paswan during the zero hour.

Remarking that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was responsible for the behaviour of his colleagues, NDA members demanded a clarification from him on the corruption charges traded between Prasad and Paswan.

Prasad had alleged corruption in the Rs 800 crore crane purchase deal when Paswan was the railway minister in the United Front government.

Out in full numbers, the Opposition raised the issue for the third consecutive day today in the House. But unlike the earlier days, it seemed determined to register their protest.

To counter the NDA charges, the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) members raised the issue of personal allegations made against Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha LK Advani, with Prasad egging them on from his seat.

Slogan shouting from both sides caused a pandemonium in the House. As the verbal duel continued, Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee adjourned the House.

Scenes witnessed in the Lok Sabha could be attributed to a NDA meeting held at Advani's house in the morning where it was decided that a privilege motion would be brought against Prasad for "misleading" the House.

Prasad had claimed in the Lok Sabha yesterday that he had made no corruption allegations against Paswan even as television channels replayed footage of the Rashtriya Janata Dal chief alleging corruption in the Rs 800-crore deal.

"Allegations have been made by one minister against another. Some clarification has to be provided. We do not want the clarifications from the ministers. We want a clarification from the Prime Minister," Janata Dal (United) leader Prabhunath Singh said while Paswan stood up to present his side of the story.

The Opposition continued to protest as Paswan told the House that the allegations he made were directed against the Bihar government and not against an individual. "I have made no allegations against the minister Prasad, but against the person Prasad," Paswan said.

Prasad, who was not sitting very far from Paswan at that time, did not comment but later told reporters that he approved of what Paswan had said. He said the Opposition did not have an argument as Advani had to first provide a clarification about the allegations made against him.

When asked to respond to Paswan's allegations against the "person" Prasad, the railway minister said it was only part of a "healthy discussion" in the government. He reiterated that he had made no allegations against Paswan and claimed that he had "spoken with responsibility".

Addressing a press conference with CPI parliamentary party leader PK Vasudevan Nair, party leader Gurudas Dasgupta termed as "unfortunate" the verbal duel between Prasad and Paswan, saying the party did not approved it.