Houses adjourned over Kashmir killings

Houses adjourned over Kashmir killings
PRESS TRUST OF INDIA

NEW DELHI, AUG 7: Both Houses of Parliament were on Monday rocked and adjourned ahead of schedule on the issue of the recent Kashmir massacres with an unrelenting Congress demanding a judicial probe into the killings and Government rejecting it saying such an inquiry would demoralise security forces fighting a Pak-sponsored proxy war in the state.

Amidst uproarious scenes, presiding officers of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha adjourned the proceedings for the day as slogan-shouting Congress members contended that the Amarnath massacres could have been avoided but for a security lapse.

Congress members, led by Madhavrao Scindia, were on their feet in the Lok Sabha when the House reassembled after two previous adjournments, stressing a judicial enquiry would fix the responsibility for security failure as "admitted" by Defence Minister George Fernandes.

In the Rajya Sabha also, turmoil continued after the House reassembled for the post-lunch session with senior Congress member Pranab Mukherj contending that Fernandes' remarks were in contradiction with Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee's observations on security lapse and demanding a clarification from the government.

Responding to the views expressed by various Opposition parties in Lok Sabha, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pramod Mahajan rejected the demand for a judicial probe and said "we should not talk about anything which may demoralise those fighting the proxy war..... at this point of time we cannot order into security lapses which may be more dangerous for the country."

Mahajan said moreover provisions of the Commission of Inquiry Act did not permit the centre to order an inquiry into matters relating to Jammu and Kashmir.

He, however, agreed to the demand of Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav and CPI-M leader Somnath Chatterjee for a discussion on the massacres.

As turmoil continued in both Houses, Speaker G M C Balayogi and Deputy Chairperson Najma Heptulla adjourned the proceedings after Congress members failed to heed to their repeated pleas for restoration of order.