2G spectrum logjam stalls parliament again

NEW DELHI, INDIA: Both houses of parliament were on Thursday again adjourned for the day without any business being transacted as the opposition relentlessly pursued its demand for a parliamentary panel to probe the 2G spectrum allocation.

This was the 10th successive day of no business in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha as the logjam between the government and the opposition continues. Virtually no legislative business has been conducted since the winter session began November 9.

Thursday was no different from other days of the session. As soon as the Lok Sabha assembled, opposition MPs from the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), the Left parties and other groups began shouting slogans.

They are demanding a joint parliamentary committee (JPC) to probe alleged irregularities in the 2008 allocation of second-generation mobile telephony spectrum that is said to have caused huge losses to the national exchequer.

Opposition leaders held up placards stating, "We want JPC" and "We want justice". Speaker Meira Kumar adjourned the house immediately till 12 noon.

When the house resumed, the din continued and Deputy Speaker Karia Munda adjourned the house till 11 a.m. Friday.

The Rajya Sabha also opened amid similar chaos with opposition members shouting slogans and moving towards Chairman Hamid Ansari's podium. Ansari also adjourned the house till 12 noon.

The pandemonium in the Rajya Sabha continued after the first adjournment and deputy chairman K. Rehman Khan adjourned the upper house for the day.

Meanwhile, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee said the government has not found any solution yet to parliament deadlock.

"We have not been able to find a solution. I don't know how to resolve this impasse. We're trying, let's see," Mukherjee, the government's top trouble shooter, told reporters.

(With inputs from Reuters)