The Opposition, led by the Bharatiya Janata Party, demanded the resignation of Finance Minister P Chidambaram on Tuesday over the issue of his lawyer wife Nalini taking up an Income Tax Department case.
The issue was first raised by BJP Deputy Leader V K Malhotra who sought to know whether any minister could plead ignorance about what was happening in his department and his house. This lead to heated exchanges between the opposition and treasury benches.
Samajwadi Party leader Ram Gopal Yadav came to the defence of the finance minister saying that it was not proper for those in politics to tarnish each other. "If a lawyer is competent, she can be engaged by any department," he said.
After vociferous protests, opposition members in Lok Sabha staged a walkout expressing dissatisfaction over the finance minister's statement that he had 'no knowledge' of the matter until it was raised in Rajya Sabha.
All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam member N Jothi expressed dissatisfaction with Chidambaram's personal explanation to the House on Monday, saying 'he has not covered any issue we have raised'.
The AIADMK and BJP members trooped to the well of the House, shouting slogans against the finance minister.
With the Congress party countering these, noisy scenes broke out, forcing Chairman Bhairon Singh Shekhawat to adjourn the House for an hour.
