BJP rocks Parliament over Afzal

New Delhi: Heated protests by Opposition parties marked the opening of Parliament's winter session on Thursday. Both Houses were adjourned for the day after arguments between the BJP-led Opposition and Treasury benches.

The Opposition was protesting over the delay in hanging of Parliament attack convict Mohammad Afzal Guru and the threat to internal security outlined by Home Minister Shivraj Patil on Wednesday.

The Lok Sabha was adjourned following noisy scenes over the death sentence to Parliament attack accused Mohammed Afzal and the arrest of Samajwadi Party MP Abu Asim Azmi in Mumbai.

While the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Shiv Sena demanded that Afzal's death sentence be executed without delay, the Samajwadi Party protested what they called the highhandedness of the Congress-Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) Government in Maharashtra.

Samajwadi Party MPS alleged that the state government had tried to suppress a rally protesting the killing of Dalits as well as the Malegaon blasts and arrested their colleague Azmi.

The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) members were seen holding a placard asking that the livelihood of millions of bidi workers in Andhra Pradesh be protected.

At the Rajya Sabha, Opposition BJP and Shiv Sena members stalled proceedings in the Rajya Sabha demanding carrying out of the death sentence awarded to Parliament attack convict Mohammad Afzal. As the din continued, the House was adjourned for an hour.

Soon after Chairman Bhairon Singh Shekhawat read out obituary reference, Shiv Sena and BJP members raised the Afzal issue. Samajwadi Party members protested the denial of permission by Maharashtra government to hold a party rally in Mumbai last week.

As SP members trooped into the well and BJP and Shiv Sena members shouted slogans, Shekhawat adjourned the House till noon. Later, it it was adjourned for the day.

Condemning the behaviour of protesting members, the Speaker said "it is very unfortunate. We are meeting after three months and there are so many important issues." He said the behaviour of MPs was not in keeping with the dignity of the House.

In the legislative business listed for Thursday are the Jallianwala Bagh National Memorial Amendment Bill and Essential Commodities Amendment Bill.