Lok Sabha speaker rejects adjournment motion over black money

But agrees to discuss the issue at the earliest

Speaker Sumitra Mahajan on Wednesday rejected a notice by the Congress party for an adjournment motion in the Lok Sabha on the issue of black money.

She also refused to suspend the question hour to discuss the matter.

Mahajan, however, agreed to let the matter, which is already listed in the business of the day, be discussed at the earliest.

The adjournment motion was moved by Congress members, including leader of the party in Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge, M Veerappa Moily and Kamal Nath.

The speaker said she will see to it that the debate is taken up as soon as possible though she did not give any specific time.

Kharge said the issue was important as it related to the promises made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi ahead of the Lok Sabha polls. He said PM had said he will bring back black money within 100 days of coming to power and failure to do so amounted to violation of that promise.

Trinamool Congress leader Sudip Bandhopadhyay said placing the discussion on black money as the "last item" of the day's agenda was like discussing black money in the darkness of night.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu said during the NDA's rule no black money went out of the country. "Whatever happened, happened in your tenure...We are ready for discussion...The timings are decided by the speaker."

Opposition parties, led by the Trinamool Congress and the Congress, made vociferous protests inside the Lok Sabha over the issue of black money on Tuesday.