Oppn targets Shinde again in RS

"I was told that after the calling attention motion, a written reply is given. Today it has not come. But I am prepared for a discussion," Shinde told the House drawing angry protests from Opposition BJP.

Deputy Leader of BJP Ravishankar Prasad said a notice in this regard was given days back and the minister should have been prepared.

Soon, the minister was provided with the written statement and he began to read it but another BJP member Najma Heptulla pointed out that members have not been given copies.

"We should get the copy both in Hindi and English before the minister reads it out. First of all the minister did not receive the statement then the members have not received it," she said with other BJP members supporting her.

P J Kurien, who was in the Chair, also said the point raised by the Opposition members is "valid" and that the statement should have been circulated among members in advance.

Prasad said, "First he (Shinde) did not have a copy. Now we do not have a copy. The government is treating the issue in a casual manner."

Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Rajiv Shukla sought cooperation from the Opposition members, assuring them that the statement would be circulated in a few minutes. He also conceded that the point raised by Prasad is valid.

However, Opposition members were unrelenting.

The matter was finally put to rest when Leader of the Opposition Arun Jaitley got up to say that since circulation of the minister's statement will take some time, the members may be allowed to raise the issue of Mumbai violence, a suggestion the Chair immediately accepted.

Earlier on August 9, Shinde was forced to eat his words and apologise in the Rajya Sabha after he made certain remarks about SP member Jaya Bachchan triggering an uproar in the House.