New Delhi:
Rajya Sabha was on Tuesday adjourned till 1200 noon following clashes between treasury benches and Opposition BJP which wanted suspension of Question Hour to discuss Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee's alleged support to Maoists at her Lalgarh rally.
When the House met for the day, Leader of Opposition Arun Jaitley said, "I have given a notice for suspension of Question Hour to discuss a matter of serious importance."
He was, however, not allowed to speak further by Congress members who demanded that the listed questions be taken up first.
The plea of members from the treasury benches was strongly opposed by S S Ahluwalia (BJP) who said Chairman Hamid Ansari had allowed Leader of the Opposition to speak and no one has the right to disrupt him.
As the two sides engaged in wordy duel, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Prithviraj Chavan rose to say something but was shouted down.
Ansari repeatedly asked the members to resume their seats so that Jaitley could make a statement but his pleas went unheeded.
The BJP wanted a statement from Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Banerjee's rally on Monday where she allegedly supported Maoists.
(Lalgarh: Mamata slams CPM for 'Jungle Mahal')"This is very unseemly," Ansari said before adjourning the House till 1200 hours.
Ahluwalia told reporters later that the BJP Parliamentary Party discussed the issue and decided that a notice be given for suspension of Question Hour in both Houses to discuss how a Union minister was supporting Maoists.
Furore in Lok Sabha:The Lok Sabha too was not spared. As soon as the House assembled for the day, BJP Deputy Leader Gopinath Munde got up and sought permission from Speaker Meira Kumar to raise the issue of Banerjee questioning the encounter of Naxal spokesman Azad.
Kumar asked Munde to raise the matter during Zero Hour but the BJP leader insisted on speaking immediately.
Even as the Speaker called for the Question Hour, Munde began speaking on the issue. At this point Trinamool Congress members started protesting prompting the Left members to rise in their seats and back the BJP in attacking Banerjee.
Trinamool member Sudip Bandopadyay was seen gesturing in the House suggesting that the BJP has made common cause with arch ideological rivals - the Left parties.
"They do not want Question Hour to run," Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal said, pointing towards the Opposition benches as BJP and Trinamool members continued to raise slogans against each other.
Congress members were on their feet demanding smooth functioning of the Question Hour.