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Sethu forces adjournment

Aarti Dhar

NEW DELHI: The Lok Sabha was adjourned again on Friday after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the DMK members clashed over the Sethusamudaram ship channel project issue with the Opposition accusing the Government of attempting to destroy evidence of the existence of an ancient `Ram Sethu' linking India and Sri Lanka.

As soon as Speaker Somnath Chatterjee allowed V.K. Malhotra of the BJP to raise the matter during Zero Hour, the DMK members were on their feet saying that the matter was sub-judice and could not, therefore, be discussed in the House. However, when Mr. Chatterjee ruled that the matter was not sub-judice and asked Mr. Malhotra to continue, Union Shipping and Surface Transport Minister T.R. Baalu got up to counter the Opposition.

Mr. Malhotra insisted that since he had been allowed by the Speaker to raise the matter, he would continue. At this point, Mr. Baalu was seen gesturing to his party members to disrupt Mr. Malhotra. This led to a pandemonium, resulting in the adjournment of the House.

On Thursday also, the matter was raised in both Houses and the Lok Sabha even witnessed a brief adjournment.

Describing the issue as contentious, the Speaker had asked both the sides to submit the relevant papers to him to allow him to decide whether the matter was sub-judice or not.

The Opposition has been alleging that one of the five alignments of the project would destroy evidence of the existence of an ancient `Ram Sethu', the Government has been maintaining that there was no evidence of any man-made bridge.

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