Uproar over 2G scam leads to adjournment of RS

With the Opposition seeking to corner the government in Parliament on the issue of corruption and price rise, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today appealed to all parties to jointly tackle problems facing the nation and promised a structured debate on matters raised by them. 'It is our sincere desire that this session should run smoothly and Parliament should discuss all issues of national importance and the government is quite prepared for any subject which the Opposition would like to be taken up,' Manmohan Singh told reporters outside Parliament. . The Prime Minister said the government would welcome a structured debate on various issues. Manmohan Singh said the matters which are in the courts should be left to the courts to decide. 'The matters that are in the courts, that are best left to the courts to decide,' he said. Hoping the session will be 'productive and constructive', the Prime Minister said, 'I appeal to all segments of Parliament. My appeal to the Opposition is to unite on this occasion to tackle jointly and collectively major problems that our nation is faced with.' Echoing similar sentiments, Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar said,'I hope the House will run smoothly. All leaders have given an assurance to me (in this regard).' Confrontation between Government and the Opposition appears imminent with the Prime Minister yesterday telling the opposition bluntly that it has too many skeletons in its cupboard', a remark that raised the hackles of the BJP. Meanwhile, the main opposition BJP and other parties today forced a adjournment of the Rajya Sabha for the day by creating uproar over several issues including the 2G spectrum scam. Immediately after Chairman Hamid Ansari read out obituary references, BJP members were up on their feet raising the issue of statements made by former Telecom Minister A Raja in the court. They were supported by members of AIADMK who displayed copies of a Tamil newspaper. BSP members raised the issue of farmers plight and were seen moving into the aisles. Ansari said he could not hear anyone as members were speaking simultaneously. Minutes into the din, he adjourned the house for 15 minutes till 12 noon. However the House was reconvened, following continuous upraor over 2G scam, it was adjourned for the day. The Lok Sabha was today adjourned for the day after paying tributes to former Haryana Chief Minister and sitting member Bhajan Lal, who died during the inter-session period. As soon as the House met on the first day of the Monsoon Session of Parliament, Speaker Meira Kumar made obituary reference to Lal, a member from Hissar, who died on June 3. The House also made obituary references to former members Dharmabhiksham, Sribatcha Digal, Sripal Singh Yadav, L S Tur and Chaturanan Mishra. The House also mourned the loss of lives in twin attacks in Norway, the terrorist attack in Mumbai on 13 July, train accidents at Thanagaon on 7 July and at Fatehpur, both in Uttar Pradesh, on 10 July. The members observed silence for a while before the House was adjourned for the day.