sify 24/02/2011
New Delhi, Feb 24 (IANS) Question hour in the Rajya Sabha ended five minutes before time Thursday following noisy scenes when a Congress MP alleged a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader in Gujarat was involved in the killing of RTI activist Amit Jethva.
Asking supplementaries on a question on the Right to Information (RTI), Congress MP from Gujarat Alka Balram Kshatriya alleged that a nephew of the BJP MP from Junagadh was involved in the killing of RTI activist Amit Jethva.
The allegation led to a huge uproar from opposition MPs. As the protests turned noisy, Chairman Hamid Ansari announced the question hour over at 11.55 a.m., five minutes before its usual time of 12 noon.
Amit Jethva was killed in July last year, a few days after he filed a public interest litigation (PIL) against illegal mining in the protected Gir sanctuary in Junagadh district. He had made Junagadh's BJP MP Dinu Solanki as one of the respondents.
Solanki's nephew Pratap alias Shiva Solanki has been named as one of the prime accused in the illegal mining in the Gir, the last habitat of the Asiatic lions.
Upset over the "unbecoming behaviour" of some members, Rajya Sabha Chairman Hamid Ansari today abruptly ended the Question Hour five minutes before schedule after Congress and BJP members clashed over an RTI issue.
Trouble began when Alka Balram Kshatriya (Cong) said the Right to Information Act is not being properly implemented in BJP-ruled Gujarat and referred to the arrest of a BJP MP's kin in RTI activist Amit Jethwa murder case.
Soon, members from BJP were on their feet accusing the Congress member of raising non-related issues.
When Kshatriya insisted on her right to ask the question, BJP members including the party's Deputy Leader in Rajya Sabha S S Ahluwalia and Ravi Shankar Prasad objected strongly.
All the while, Congress members Prabha Thakur, Viplove Thakur and Mabel Rebello kept standing in support of Kshatriya and countering the BJP members and further clarifications could not be sought.
As the din continued, an angry Ansari ended the Question Hour.
When some members wanted to know why the Question Hour was being curtailed, Ansari said he was doing so because of the rumpus created by the "unbecoming behaviour" of some senior members.
Trouble began when Alka Balram Kshatriya (Cong) said the Right to Information Act is not being properly implemented in BJP-ruled Gujarat and referred to the arrest of a BJP MP's kin in RTI activist Amit Jethwa murder case.
Soon, members from BJP were on their feet accusing the Congress member of raising non-related issues.
When Kshatriya insisted on her right to ask the question, BJP members including the party's Deputy Leader in Rajya Sabha S S Ahluwalia and Ravi Shankar Prasad objected strongly.
All the while, Congress members Prabha Thakur, Viplove Thakur and Mabel Rebello kept standing in support of Kshatriya and countering the BJP members and further clarifications could not be sought.
As the din continued, an angry Ansari ended the Question Hour.
When some members wanted to know why the Question Hour was being curtailed, Ansari said he was doing so because of the rumpus created by the "unbecoming behaviour" of some senior members.
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