House adjourned over Minister's remark

By Our Special Correspondent

GANDHINAGAR, JULY 31. The speaker, Mr Dhirubhai Shah, had to adjourn the Gujarat Assembly for 15 minutes during the question hour today as a Congress member, Mr Jasubhai Barad, squatted in the well of the House in protest against, what he said, some ``objectionable comments'' by a Minister.

The House was discussing a question on the revival of the closed Madhavpura Mercantile Co-operative Bank (MMCB) when an agitated Mr. Barad complained that the Irrigation Minister, Mr. Nitin Patel, sitting in his chair, had made some objectionable remarks against him and other Congress members and demanded that the Speaker seek his apology.

Even before the Speaker could call up the Minister, the Congress members were on their feet creating a ruckus in the House. Mr. Barad twice rushed up to the podium and later squatted in the well of the House.

As it seemed more Congress members would take steps towards the well, Mr Shah adjourned the House for 15 minutes.

The disturbances started when the Minister of State for Co- operation, Mr. Ramanlal Vora, replying to a supplementary commented that during the Congress tenure, at least 10 co- operative banks had folded up in the State sinking with them over Rs.3,133 crores of poor people's money. All the office-bearers of the closed banks were Congress members, he claimed.

Pointing out that the chairman and other responsible office- bearers of the MMCB were being prosecuted against by the present government, Mr. Vora said he was not aware about their political affiliations, if any.

He also denied that the stock exchange bull, Mr. Ketan Parekh, who was responsible for the collapse of the MMCB, or any of his close relatives had been favoured with any other contracts by the present BJP government.

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Section  : Other States
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