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UTI ex-chief's appointment rocks Lok Sabha again

Tara Shankar Sahay in New Delhi

The Opposition in the Lok Sabha on Thursday forced Union Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha to admit that the government had adopted 'full procedure of the appointments committee' in the appointment of former UTI chairman P S Subramanyam.

Angry opposition members led by Priyaranjan Dasmunshi (Congress) triggered pandemonium during zero hour in the House when he raised the issue of National Democratic Alliance convenor George Fernandes 'making unsubstantiated allegations against Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa'.

Amidst considerable consternation in the Congress and CPM benches, Dasmunshi pointed out that Fernandes ought to be pulled up by 'misleading the House' over his contention that it was Jayalalithaa who written a note to the Vajpayee government asking for Subramanyam's appointment as the UTI chairman.

The AIADMK House leader and former Tamil Nadu speaker P H Pandian immediately jumped to his feet and shouted drawing speaker G M C Balyogi's attention that the NDA convenor had made unsubstantiated allegations "against my leader Madam Jayalalithaa" and that the government should clarify.

This set off counter-shouts from the treasury benches and nothing could be heard above the din that ensued.

The speaker's repeated entreaties for order in the House appeared to fall on deaf ears in both sections of the House with their members shouted at each other at the top of their voice.

Later, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pramod Mahajan referring to rule 40 of the house said Dasmunshi ought to have given a notice to the speaker before raising the issue pertaining to the NDA convenor.

However, Mahajan was cut short by former prime minister and Samajwadi Janata Party chief Chandrashekhar who upbraided the minister saying: "I have much more parliamentary experience than you " and that the former should not refer to " inapplicable rules on this issue."

Chandrashekhar pointed out that the issue entailed the question of the functioning of the government and in order to maintain the dignity and decorum of the House, the government should come out with a statement.

Even as the SJM chief's statement was greeted with applause from the Opposition members, the finance minister rose to state that "it is not necessary for the government to immediately respond to the Opposition demand."

However, Sinha then admitted that the government had followed the full procedure as Subramanyam's appointment as the UTI chairman.

Sinha's statement appeared to pacify the Opposition members.

However, Pandian later told reporters outside parliament that the NDA convenor had made a 'serious charge' against the Tamil Nadu chief minister as had been proved by the finance minister's clarification on Subramanyam's appointment as the UTI chief.

"George Fernandes' charges against our leader Madam Jayalalithaa was baseless and politically motivated," Pandian pointed out.

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