By IANS,
New Delhi : Both houses of parliament were adjourned till 2 p.m. Monday as the BJP refused to allow Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to make a statement on coal- block allocation.
Earlier too, both houses were adjourned till noon after slogan-shouting BJP members disrupted proceedings compelling the presiding officers to order the adjournment.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) kept up a chant demanding the prime minister’s resignation, effectively drowning out all attempts by him to speak. His statement was finally laid on the table of the two respective houses.
The prime minister said in his statement that he takes full responsibility for the decisions of the coal ministry that he was heading during the allocation of coal blocks during UPA-I that the government auditor’s report says caused a loss to the exchequer.
He also said that “any allegations of impropriety are without basis and unsupported by the facts”.
The Lok Sabha, which met again at 12 noon was adjourned till 2 p.m. after the BJP refused to let the prime minister speak. Similar scenes were witnessed in the Rajya Sabha when Manmohan Singh tried to make a statement at 12.30 p.m.
Speaking to reporters on way to the upper house, the prime minister voiced his unhappiness over not being allowed to speak. “I am sorry that the house has not been allowed to function,” Manmohan Singh said.
In Hindi, he said that his silence was better than a thousand answers: “Hazaaron jawabon se achchhi hai meri khamoshi, na jaane kitne sawaalon ki aabru rakhe.”
But in view of the BJP’s “motivated attack against the government, this is one occasion I should be given to defend myself”, the prime minister said.