In the wake of uproar over the massacre of 76 security personnel in a Naxal attack in Dantewada, Chhattisgarh, both the Houses of Parliament were adjourned till 2 pm on Thursday.
Union Home Minister P Chidambaram was supposed to give a statement on the Dantewada Naxal attack at 1 pm in the Lok Sabha. But due the ongoing uproar and the consequent adjournement, the statement too is now delayed.
Both the Houses witnessed stormy scenes soon after they re-assembled for the second part of the Budget Session with members from the Opposition, including BJP, Left, SP and BSP raising the issue.
Several opposition members had given notices for suspension of Question Hour and demanded immediate discussion on the issue.
Seeking to pacify the members, Parliamentary Affairs Minister P K Bansal said that Home Minister P Chidambaram would make a statement in the Lok Sabha at 1 pm and the government was ready for discussion thereafter.
Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Prithviraj Chavan made an identical statement in the Rajya Sabha telling the members that they could seek clarifications and have a discussion after Chidambaram's statement.
The Opposition members were not satisfied and wanted the matter to be taken up immediately, suspending the Question Hour. This was not agreeable to the government. In the din, Speaker Meira Kumar adjourned the House till noon.
In Rajya Sabha, Chavan requested the members to allow the Question Hour to proceed. As members were unrelenting, Chairman Hamid Ansari adjourned the proceedings till noon.
Earlier, the Speaker made obituary reference to Polish President Lech Kaczynski, who was killed in an air crash in Russia recently as also three former members Shivsharan Verma, P Rajarethinam and Sunderwati Nawal Prabhakar.
The House condemned the dastardly attack by the Maoists on CRPF personnel at Dantewada on April 6 and on security personnel in Koraput in Orissa on April 4.