Bahujan Samaj Party members created a ruckus during Rahul Gandhi's speech in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday, over the alleged 'threats of imprisonment' to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati in the Central Bureau of Investigation case against her, if the party failed to back the government in the trust vote.
Brandishing copies of a document, purportedly the CBI affidavit in the disproportionate assets case against Mayawati, BSP MPs, led by Brajesh Pathak, made certain allegations against the government which were inaudible in the din.
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Speaker Somnath Chatterjee assured Pathak that he would be provided with special protection outside the House.
"It is a serious matter and we need to address it. I have asked the home minister to look into the problem," he said.
Pthak asked the Speaker to hand over the document to the Home Minister Shivraj Patil or President Pratibha Patil.
Senior Communist Party of India leader Gurudas Dasgupta said that Pathak's allegations were serious.
"I am not saying that the allegations are right or wrong. Let the House committee go into it and check out the authenticity of Brajesh Pathak's complaints," Chatterjee said.
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Pathak and BSP Lok Sabha leader Rajesh Verma were vociferous in their protest and were in no mood to heed the pleas by several Union Ministers, including Leader of the House Pranab Mukherjee, who went to pacify them.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress chief Sonia Gandhi were present in the full House as it was listening to the Member of Parliament from Amethi about the problems of the downtrodden and the way they are trying to overcome them.
He wanted to emphasise how energy security could help in bringing light to their lives when the commotion broke out with an angry Pathak suddenly raising the issue.
BSP members later claimed that Pathak was confronted by a person who handed him the document consisting of a photocopy of the CBI affidavit in the Supreme Court.
BSP MP Illyas Azmi claimed that Pathak was warned that if his party failed to support the government then Mayawati could find herself behind bars for a long time.
In the melee, Speaker Somnath Chatterjee adjourned the House for lunch, asking Gandhi to continue after the break.
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With additional reportage from PTI