By IANS
Raipur : Chaos prevailed in the Chhattisgarh assembly Tuesday and it was adjourned for the day over alleged derogatory remarks a former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) parliamentarian made against Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi.
Ram Vilas Vedanti, former BJP MP from Uttar Pradesh and Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader, allegedly made derogatory comments about the senior Congress leaders Monday night at a government function at Rajim, about 45 km from here.
He allegedly made vulgar remarks against Congress MP Rahul Gandhi also while addressing a function at the Rajim Kumbh mela, a religious event organised by the state cultural department.
As the house assembled at 11 a.m., Congress members raised the issue and demanded immediate debate on it but the ruling BJP members accused them of “blowing the issue out of proportion”.
But Leader of Opposition Mahendra Karma said: “The former BJP MP has used unparliamentary and highly substandard words against Sonia Gandhi as well as against the prime minister and the house needs to discuss the issue immediately.”
He was joined by other members of the Congress, which has 34 legislators in the 90-member assembly.
Sensing that the situation was getting out of control, Speaker Prem Prakash Pandey first adjourned the house for 10 minutes and then for the whole day as the Congress insisted on a discussion when the house reassembled.
The state government organises the week-long `Rajim Kumbh’ annually on the bank of Mahanadi river where Hindu saints and noted religious leaders from across the country are invited to give discourses.
Vedanti’s speech was telecast live by a local TV channel and as soon as he made the “derogatory remarks” Congress supporters present there rushed to the podium.
Dozens of police personnel deployed at venue escorted Vedanti and led him away.