M A I N   N E W S

Nanavati report rocks Parliament
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 9
The Nanavati Commission report on the 1984 anti-Sikh riots today rocked both Houses of Parliament as BJP and Akali Dal members made a vociferous demand for action against those indicted by the commission, leading to adjournment of the two houses.

Soon after the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha met this morning, the BJP and Akali Dal charged the Congress-led UPA Government with trying to protect their leaders.

The members trooped into the well in both Houses and raised slogans demanding action against the guilty.

Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee adjourned the House for the day, barely five minutes after it assembled this morning.

The Rajya Sabha, which also witnessed similar scenes, was adjourned for an hour first and then for the entire day.

As soon as the Lok Sabha assembled for the day, the NDA members, led by BJP leader V.K. Malhotra, demanded the issue action against the guilty. BJP, Shiromani Akali Dal, and other NDA members trooped into the well forcing the Speaker to adjourn the House for the day.

The NDA members continued to shout slogans even after the Speaker asked Mr Malhotra to raise the issue.

The slogan-shouting Opposition members alleged that the Nanavati report had blamed the Congress for engineering the riots. The Congress members shouted back accusing the BJP of a pogrom against minorities in Gujarat.

In the Rajya Sabha, the matter was raised by BJP leader Sushma Swaraj, who said “those responsible for the genocoide (of Sikhs) were in power today.”

The Opposition members, led by Mr Raj Mohinder Singh Majitha (Shiromani Akali Dal), moved into the well of the House raising slogans like “we want justice.”

Chairman Bhairon Singh Shekhawat told the members that he was prepared for a discussion on the Nanavati Commission report today if the members so desired. As the Opposition did not relent, Mr Shekhawat adjourned the House for an hour.

When the House reassembled, similar scenes were witnessed as BJP and Akali Dal members again stormed into the well of the House. After the Chair’s repeated pleas to them to go back to the seats went unheeded, the House was adjourned for the day.

After the two Houses were adjourned, Akali Dal MPs raised slogans against the government at the Parliament entrance. Mr Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa said the party would not relent till action was taken against those named in the Nanavati report. “Whatever little has been recommended by the Nanavati panel must be accepted in toto,” he said. Mr Dhindsa demanded dismissal of Union Minister Jagdish Tytler and cases against all those named in the report.