Lok Sabha stalled over Thackeray, Tamils, Kerala issues

New Delhi, Oct 21 (IANS) The Lok Sabha was Tuesday adjourned till 12 noon following chaos in the house over the attack on north Indians in Maharashtra leading to the arrest of Raj Thackeray, the issue of Tamils caught in the military conflict in Sri Lanka and the alleged discrimination against Kerala by the central government.

As soon as the speaker started the session in the lower house of parliament, MPs got up and raised slogans about the various regional issues that they wanted the house to take up.

While Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MPs shouted slogans to protest the attacks in Maharashtra by activists of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) on north Indian job aspirants at railway recruitment exam centres, DMK MPs wanted to raise the issue of the protection of Tamil civilians affected in the military conflict between the Tamil Tiger rebels and the Sri Lankan governmnet.

MPs from Kerala protested against the alleged negligence of the state by the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government.

Though Speaker Somnath Chatterjee warned that he would adjourn the house until next year if the slogan shouting did not stop, no one paid heed.

He said that he had got 'five notices for suspension of Question Hour' and added that not one word of the protests would be recorded.

But the MPs continued their slogan shouting and Chatterjee said: 'You don't want to discuss the issues of people. You just want to create trouble.'

He then adjourned the house till 12 noon, five minutes after the house assembled.