Thaindian News

New Delhi, March 18 (IANS) The government’s refusal to take up any clarifications on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s statement on Wikileaks Friday led the Rajya Sabha to its third adjournment of the day till 3 p.m.

Soon after the prime minister read out his statement that no money was paid to MPs during the 2008 trust vote, opposition members sought the customary clarifications from him.

The opposition members were, however, denied the opportunity by Chairman M. Hamid Ansari who said that clarifications cannot be sought as the statement was made on opposition’s demand.

This angered the opposition members, who questioned why the practice was changed all of a sudden and the clarifications were not being allowed.

“The practice till last week was that clarification is sought whenever any minister speaks. I don’t know why that convention is broken today,” Leader of Opposition Arun Jaitley, of the Bharatiya Janata Party, asked.

Replying to this, the chairman gave the example of a ruling from 1997.

“There is an earlier ruling No 173, of 24 April, 1997, which is clear,” he said.

Questioning this, Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) leader Sitaram Yechury asked why the government remembered the rule after 14 years.

Replying to the opposition’s questions, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal said that clarifications can only be sought to suo motu statements.

“If the statement is suo motu, the clarification can be demanded. The subject was chosen by them (opposition), the house has not been running for some time. We can’t go by what they wish. What else would satisfy them,” Bansal said.

“The PM is always answerable to country, there was a demand in the two houses and he has made statement,” he said.

The denial was met by huge protest from the opposition and the house was adjourned till 3 p.m.

Earlier, making identical statements both in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, the prime minister said the government “rejects firmly” the allegations that MPs were bribed to win the 2008 vote of confidence.

“The government rejects the allegation firmly. Nobody from the Congress or the government was involved in illegal act,” Manmohan Singh told the Lok Sabha, as he hit out at the opposition for raising the issue and giving an “unverified communication a dignity”.