House Diary

Quota for all Muslims: Samajwadis

The Lok Sabha was adjourned on Friday afternoon till Monday morning following a lack of adequate quorum in the House. The House was adjourned at about 3.40 pm after it came to light that less than 10 per cent of the total members of the House were present. The lack of quorum was noticed following a walkout by BSP MPs protesting the desecration of the statue of B.R. Ambedkar at Kanpur.

The Lok Sabha had initially assembled at 2 pm after the lunch break when BSP MPs protested loudly over the desecration. Following this, the House was adjourned till 3.30 pm. When the House assembled, the BSP MPs staged a walkout. The House was then adjourned.

Some members of the Rajya Sabha were in for a surprise when a visibly enraged BSP leader Mayawati entered the well of the House, demanding a CBI inquiry into the desecration of a statue of B.R. Ambedkar in Kanpur. The BSP leader might not have supporters in other political parties but Friday was different. Members, cutting across party line, supported Ms Mayawati’s cause and demanded that guilty be brought to book.

As soon as news of Lok Sabha MP Navjot Singh Sidhu being convicted in a murder case by the Punjab and Haryana high court reached the Upper House, the only two words that one could hear, though in a rather laggard tone, were "oye guru", which are the former cricketer’s favourite.

Brajesh Pathak, the BSP Lok Sabha member from Unnao in UP, was at his vocal best when he chanted slogans in the Lok Sabha on Friday in protest against the desecration of the statue of B.R. Ambedkar. "Babasaheb ke samman mein BSP maidan mein (The BSP has taken the field to maintain the prestige of Babasaheb Ambedkar)"; the BSP MP chanted.

(Compiled by Bureau)