LS adjourns for day, RS till 2 pm to pay respect to Kalam

Lok Sabha was adjourned for the day today and Rajya Sabha till 2 pm without transacting any business in view of the funeral of former President A P J Abdul Kalam taking place in his hometown of Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu.

As soon as the Lok Sabha assembled, Speaker Sumitra Mahajan paid obituary reference to three former members of Lok Sabha -- Sriballav Panigrahi, R S Gavai and B K Handique.

She also referred to the Gurdaspur terrorist attack and mentioned the names of SP Baljit Singh and Home Guards Sukhdev Singh, Bodh Raj and Des Raj, who were killed in the incident, besides other civilians.

"The House strongly condemns this terrorist attack...," she said.

Mentioning the name of slain police personnel is in line with the recent decision of the Lok Sabha Secretariat to pay obituary to the personnel of armed forces and police forces who die in the line of the duty.

Soon after she made the obituary reference, Mahajan adjoured the House for the day citing the funeral of Kalam.

The development apparently took Home Minister Rajnath Singh by surprise. Singh was standing on his seat when the House was adjourned.

Government had earlier announced that the Home Minister would make a statement on the Gurdaspur terror incident and Speaker had even suggested that she could allow some clarifications.

Incidentally, Congress members today were not sporting the black bands on their arms to protest government "inaction" on Lalit Modi controversy and Vyapam scam.

In Rajya Sabha, soon after the House condemned the terrorist attack in Punjab, Chairman Hamid Ansari said "since the funeral of former President A P J Abdul Kalam is in progress" at Rameswaram, the House is adjourned till 2 PM.

Earlier, Ansari referred to the Gurdaspur terror strike and said "this dastardly attack is deporable," he said. The loss of lives in the terrorist strike was tragic and unfortunate.

The House "condemns the terrorist attack," he said reiterating the firm resolve to confront such attacks with determination.

Members stood in silence as mark of respect to the departed.