By IANS,
New Delhi : Pandemonium gripped the Lok Sabha Tuesday afternoon as opposition MPs suddenly flashed bundles of currency notes they said were being doled out by government supporters to bribe MPs ahead of a crucial trust vote later in the day.
Deputy Speaker Charanjit Singh Atwal was presiding over the house, trying to persuade Basudeb Acharya of the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) to end his speech, when Ashok Pradhan of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) walked rapidly to the table of parliament staffers, accompanied by a colleague.
Both then placed two leather bags on the table and pulled out bundles of 100 rupee notes, alleging bribery.
As the house – and the nation – watched in shock, Atwal left his seat. In no time, a large number of MPs, mainly from the opposition benches, trooped towards the empty speaker’s chair, shouting slogans.