New Delhi:
Today is the 11th anniversary of the attack on the Indian Parliament - nine people were killed when five terrorists drove into the high-security Parliament complex and opened fire.
In the Lok Sabha today, Opposition MPs shouted slogans demanding the hanging of Afzal Guru, convicted and sentenced to death for his role in the attack. His petition for mercy is pending with the President, Pranab Mukherjee. (
Read: Govt should announce date for hanging Afzal Guru, says BJP)
Speaker of the House Meira Kumar, visibly angry, reprimanded the unruly parliamentarians. "On this date, people lost their lives here, they didn't sacrifice their lives for this," she said.
Frequent disruptions by parliamentarians from different parties have been forcing daily adjournments of both Houses. The first few days of this Winter Session of Parliament were squandered till the government agreed to a vote on its decision to allow foreign supermarkets into the country. A new deadlock is the result of opposing views on a proposal that asks for promotions in government jobs to be reserved for Dalits and tribals. While Mayawati's party, the BSP, wants this to be enacted urgently as a law, her political rival, Mulayam Singh Yadav, is determined that the bill should not be taken up for debate. His party has vowed to disrupt Parliament every day, if necessary, to ensure that the "quota bill" is not taken up.
In the Rajya Sabha yesterday, Mayawati shocked many by attacking Hamid Ansari, the chairman of the House. She accused him of failing to run the Rajya Sabha. "Over the last few days, the House is not allowed to function after 12 pm. It is your responsibility to ensure that it functions." She added, "You are not seen here after 12 pm. What kind of House is this?"
The Prime Minister phoned Mr Ansari in the evening and conveyed his distress over the ugliness of the episode, as well as the chaos that has now become customary in the House.