Brief uproar in RS as BJP members raise Deshmukh issue

BJP MPs in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday demanded the dismissal of Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh and sought to raise the issue of alleged charges of corruption against him, leading to uproar in the House for a while.

The trouble started towards the end of the morning session when BJP MP Sushil Kumar Modi said he had given a Zero Hour mention seeking Deshmukh's dismissal.

This lead to noisy scenes in the House with members from the opposition benches objecting to it.

Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu told Sushil Modi that he had not given permission to raise the issue.

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As several members from both treasury and opposition benches were on their feet with some raising slogans, Naidu asked them to sit down.

"I have not permitted" he said, and reminded the members that the House had lost precious time on Monday. He asked the members not raise slogans in the House.

Naidu also said the issue was a matter related to a state.

"It is a political issue. Settle it outside," he said.

The House later started with its scheduled Question Hour.