Lok Sabha disrupted over Katju's allegations

AIADMK MPs trooped near the speaker's podium with demands, Speaker Sumitra Mahajan adjourned the house twice.

The Lok Sabha was Tuesday disrupted due to uproar by AIADMK members over Press Council of India chairman Justice Markandey Katju's allegations of corruption in judiciary while the government admitted that the incident had indeed taken place.

Katju in his blog Sunday said an additional judge of the Madras High Court was appointed during the UPA regime despite an Intelligence Bureau report revealing charges of corruption against him.

The AIADMK members charged their arch-rival DMK of interfering in the appointment of the high court judge when Katju was the chief justice of the Madras High Court in 2004 and sought to know who in the DMK had pressurised the then UPA government not to take action against the judge.

"In 2003, the collegium had certain reservations and had made some enquiries and decided that the case of this judge should not be taken up," Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad told the Lok Sabha amid a ruckus created on the issue by the AIADMK members.

Prasad said later during the UPA rule, a clarification was sought by the Prime Minister's Office as to why the judge should not be recommended. "The collegium again said he should not have been recommended at all."

Later, the law ministry wrote a note to the collegium following which it said that his case can be considered for some extension, Prasad said.

The minister said the government was "quite keen" to appoint a national judicial commission for making such appointments to improve the system of judicial appointments.

As the AIADMK MPs trooped near the speaker's podium with their vociferous demands, Speaker Sumitra Mahajan first adjourned the house for 15 minutes and then till 2 p.m.

The AIADMK members wanted the government to name "the DMK minister" who was involved in the matter.