Storm over JPC demand threatens to wash out Parliament session

Today being the 18th anniversary of Babri Masjid demolition, the matter had its echo in the Lok Sabha with Congress members attacking the BJP.

Angry BJP and other opposition members stormed the well disrupting proceedings for the 17th working day to press for a Joint Parliamentary Committee to go into allocation of radio-waves -- a demand consistently rejected by government.

Despite repeated appeals by senior member Girija Vyas, who was in the Chair, Opposition members refused to relent and kept raising slogans and waving copies of newspaper reports on the spectrum scam, leading to the adjournment of the House for the day.
Earlier, when the House met for the day, it witnessed uproar by Opposition members, including those from BJP, JD(S), Shiv Sena, AIADMK and Samajwadi Party, with many of them marching to the well raising anti-government slogans on the JPC issue.

They were countered by Congress members who protested the demolition of Babri mosque on this day in 1992.Shafiq-ur Rehman Barq (BSP) was seen raising slogans demanding action against those involved in the Babri Masjid demolition.

Speaker Meira Kumar made repeated appeals to members to allow the House to function saying this was the last week of winter session of Parliament. With members unrelenting, she adjourned the House till noon.

The Rajya Sabha, which has also been witnessing protests on the issue, adjourned for the day after mourning the death of 88-year-old sitting JD(S) member M Rajasekara Murthy.