Thaindian News

New Delhi, Aug 9 (IANS) An innuendo from Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Yashwant Sinha against Sports Minister Ajay Maken and his alleged links with former Jharkhand chief minister Madhu Koda Tuesday led to pandemonium in the Lok Sabha, leading to its adjournment, initially for half-an-hour and later for the day.

Sinha, while participating in a debate on the minister’s Aug 2 statement on the Commonwealth Games, referred to Maken being the Congress party’s in-charge for Jharkhand affairs when Koda was the chief minister a few years ago.

The BJP leader, who represents Hazaribagh in Jharkhand in Lok Sabha, said when Maken visited Ranchi during the days of Koda’s chief ministership, he always threatened to withdraw support, but the threat was never carried out.

“Soon after those threats, Koda used to bring a bag load to the capital,” Sinha said, indicating that it was done to please the Congress leadership.

No sooner had Sinha uttered these words, the ruling benches were on their feet protesting the remark. The ruling party members, including some ministers such as Ambika Soni, Harish Rawat and V. Narayanasamy, said the BJP MP was alleging corruption and asked the chair to direct him to withdraw the remarks.

Sinha, however, stood his ground and noted that his comments were within parliamentary norms and that he had made no allegation.

The chair too ruled that the BJP MP’s remarks were not an allegation.

But the Congress, particularly Maken, was displeased and the minister threw his earphones to display his anger. He had to be pacified by his Congress colleagues.

Intervening in the matter, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal wanted Sinha to withdraw his remarks, noting that in the heat of the debate certain words were used and by withdrawing them the senior BJP leader’s stature would not diminish.

But Sinha refused to heed his request.

As the high decibel levels continued, the chair adjourned the house first for half-an-hour. Similar scenes were witnessed when the house reassembled, leading to the chair adjourning it for the day.