Sadhvi row: Chair asks oppn parties, govt to end logjam

Concerned over the impasse in Rajya Sabha over Union Minister Niranjan Jyoti's remarks, Deputy Chairman P J Kurien today directed leaders of opposition parties and the government to sit together and hammer out a solution by Monday.

Kurien adjourned the House for the day at about 3.15 PM after it failed to transact any business for the fourth consecutive day today with an agitated opposition insisting on the sacking of the Minister.

"Leaders of the opposition parties and government should sit together and work out a solution by Monday. The Chair cannot take a decision," Kurien, who was in the Chair, observed.

His observations came after the House witnessed four adjournments before the Chair called it a day as opposition uproar continued over the demand and members insisted on a resolution to condemn the Sadhvi's remarks.

"There is an impasse between the government and the opposition and as long as this issue is not resolved we will not allow the House to run," said Deputy Leader of Opposition Anand Sharma when Kurien pleaded that private members' bill be taken up.

The Congress member charged the government with forcing a stalemate in the House.

Kurien said he did not find any use in furthering the discussion before adjourning the House.

Earlier, when the House met after lunch members trooped into the Well demanding sacking of the Union Minister, forcing the Chair to adjourn it within barely 10 minutes of sitting.

Satyavrat Chaturvedi (Cong) contended, "Expression of the Prime Minister's speech is almost identical to the resolution, we are making. What is the problem for the government?"

Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said the issue should be "closed" as the Prime Minister himself has "strongly disapproved" of the remarks in the House.

The Minister concerned too was in the House and had apologised, he said adding that senior Ministers Arun Jaitley and Venkiah Naidu had also disapproved of it in the House.