New Delhi, July 21
The Sibu Soren issue today rocked Parliament with the Rajya Sabha
being adjourned for the day without transacting any business. The
Opposition stalled the proceedings while the Lok Sabha Speaker
observed that there was no provision of a Cabinet Minister taking
leave from the House.
The issue began when Mr Jamanu Devi Barupal (Congress) left the
Rajya Sabha apparently to avoid putting a question relating to the
ministry of Coal and Mines during question hour.
The ministry is headed by Coal and Mines Minister Sibu Soren,
against whom a non-bailable arrest warrant has been issued by a
Jharkhand court in a murder case.
Congress members were seen gesticulating at their party colleague
Barupal to leave the House after Chairman Bhairon Singh Shekhawat
called for the first question to be posed.
BJP members, including Arun Jaitley, Yashwant Sinha and S.S.
Ahluwalia, drew the attention of the Chair when Mr Barupal was leaving
the House.
Later, Mr Jaitley served a breach of privilege notice on the
members who had persuaded Mr Barupal to leave.
After the House met after three hours of adjournment in the
morning, it had to be adjourned again for an hour in the afternoon as
the Opposition members raised the issue of Mr Soren, who they said was
evading arrest.
When BJP leader Sushma Swaraj rose to speak after the House met for
the third time, Congress members strongly opposed it, leading to a
commotion in the House.
Sensing the mood, Chairman Bhairon Singh Shekhawat then adjourned
the House for the day.
In the Lok Sabha when BJP chief whip Vijay Kumar Malhotra wanted to
know whether Mr Soren had taken leave from the House for three days
and whether the police had approached him for his arrest, the Speaker
said, “There is no system of taking leave and there is no provision
for grant of leave.”
When a member tried to pursue the issue, the Speaker said he was
not obliged to answer his queries.
