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RJD member refuses to put questions to Fernandes

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI FEB. 26. The Rajya Sabha witnessed acrimonious scenes today between the ruling party and opposition members when a RJD member refused to put supplementaries to the Defence Minister, George Fernandes, during question hour.

All hell broke loose when the RJD member, Saroj Dubey, refused to ask a supplementary on the Intermediate Jet Trainer developed by the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited after the Minister replied to queries from the TDP member, N.P. Durga.

"I want my question to be answered by the Minister of State. I do not want a corrupt Minister (George Fernandes) to answer my question,'' Ms. Dubey said, sparking off sharp protest from the treasury benches. There were heated exchanges between both the sides for some time in which the RJD leader, Laloo Prasad Yadav, also joined but nothing could be heard in the din.

The Chairman, Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, asked Ms. Dubey whether she wanted to ask her supplementary or not. But when she stuck to her stand, Mr. Shekhawat took up the next question.

The Defence Minister, George Fernandes, has been facing a `boycott' from opposition members ever since he was re-inducted into the Cabinet, pending an inquiry into the scam exposed by the Tehelka news channel.

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