Parliament disrupted over missing coal block files

Govt decides to extend Parliament till September 5

Both Houses of Parliament were disrupted on Thursday over BJP's demand for a statement by the prime minister on the missing files related to the allocation of coal blocks.

As soon Rajya Sabha met at 11 a.m., Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Ravi Shankar Prasad said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is present in the house so he should make a statement on the missing files.

"Prime minister should give an assurance to the country that probe will ordered to trace the missing files," said Prasad.

Minister of state for Parliamentary Affairs Rajeev Shukla said that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh may intervene in discussion on missing coal ministry files, reports PTI.

Rajya Sabha Chairperson Hamid Ansari said for this a notice has to be given and appealed to the members to allow question hour to run.

Members of other parties, including CPI-M, also demanded a statement from prime minister. The Samajwadi Party demanded an answer to the steep fall of rupee against dollar.

Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Rajeev Shukla said Coal Minister Sriprakash Jaiswal had made a statement on the matter last week.

As commotion prevailed, Ansari adjourned the house for 15 minutes.

In Lok Sabha, noisy protests continued with BJP members resorting to sloganeering that prime minister should reply on the missing coal files.

The Lok Sabha was adjourned till noon.