Congress wins Karnataka, Parliament adjourned sine die

Parliament was adjourned sine die at 12.56 pm on Wednesday, two days before scheduled end of the Budget session. The decision was reportedly taken after the Congress's victory in Karnataka elections. The adjournment would mean that crucial bills like the Food Security Bill and the Land Acquisition Bill won't be passed.

It was yet another day of uproar and unruly scenes in Lok Sabha as opposition MPs rushed to the well of the House demanding Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's resignation over the recent scams that have hit the UPA.

An angry Meira Kumar lashed out as she noticed some MPs walking out of the House while the Vande Mataram was being sung. "I have taken a serious note of this and I need to know why. This should not ever be repeated again," she said.

The Opposition members, led by the BJP, protested over alleged scam in top railway appointments, coal block allocation issue and demands for resignation of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Members of BJP, Shiv Sena, Akali Dal, SP and BSP trooped into the Well in both the Houses raising slogans on a host of issues ranging from corruption to alleged atrocities on Dalits in Uttar Pradesh.

It was trouble from the word go in the Lok Sabha. As soon as the House met for the day, BJP and Shiv Sena members rushed to the Well raising the issue of "corruption" in top railway appointments and alleged interference of government in Supreme Court-monitored probe in coal block allocation.

SP members raised slogans demanding implementation of Sachar Committee recommendations for welfare of religious minorities, while BSP members went to the Well over the issue of death of four Dalits in Moradabad district of UP.

Akali Dal members were in the Well carrying placards demanding a probe by a Supreme Court-monitored Special Investigation Team into the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. Opposition members were also raising slogans against Law Minister Ashwani Kumar and Railway Minister PK Bansal for their alleged roles in diluting the CBI status report on the coal block allocations and the cash-for-railway jobs respectively.

Left members sought resignation of the Law Minister. The Speaker tried to continue with the Question Hour, but as members were unrelenting she adjourned the House till noon. Almost similar scenes were witnessed in the Rajya Sabha. As soon as the House met, BJP members started raising slogans demanding resignation of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and some of them entered the Well.

BSP members too entered the Well raising slogans, but they could not be heard amid the din. Akali Dal members were seen holding placards against the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.