The Rajya Sabha was adjourned twice Monday as opposition members demanded that Telecom Minister A. Raja be dismissed over the alleged irregularities in the allocation of 2G spectrum.
New Delhi, May 3 (IANS) The Rajya Sabha was adjourned twice Monday as opposition members demanded that Telecom Minister A. Raja be dismissed over the alleged irregularities in the allocation of 2G spectrum.
ADVERTISEMENT
As soon as the house met for the day, members of the AIADMK and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) were on their feet, demanding action against Raja. Following the din in the house, Chairman Hamid Ansari adjourned the house for 15 minutes.
The chaos continued when the house reassembled with the Left and Samajwadi Party members joining in the protests. Following noisy scenes, the chairman adjourned the house till 12 noon.
AIADMK member V. Maitreyan told reporters later that his party was demanding Raja's dismissal since Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi had already ruled out the option of the minister stepping down.
He said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh should clarify his stand on the issue as Raja had made repeated statements that he had kept the prime minister posted on the decisions concerning spectrum allocation.
"The prime minister should come to the house to tell us his stand," Maitreyan said.
He alleged that the government had suffered a loss of Rs.1 trillion due to the telecom scam.
The AIADMK leader said they had given a notice for the suspension of Question Hour to discuss the issue but it was not accepted.
The spectrum scam created a furore in parliament last week after a newspaper report on the tapping of phone conversations between a high-profile lobbyist and public relations firm owner and Communications Minister A. Raja alleged wrongdoing in the allocation of 2G spectrum.
Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!
