As BJP disrupts LS over Afzal Guru hanging, anguished Speaker reminds them of 13 people's supreme sacrifice

Soon after the House paid homage to martyrs of the 2001 attack, BJP members led by Shahnawaz Hussain started raising slogans demanding immediate hanging of Guru.

BJP and Shiv Sena members trooped to the Well shouting slogans 'Afzal Guru ko phaansi do' (hang Afzal Guru).

"Why is the government not hanging Afzal Guru. Why is the government helpless in carrying out the death sentence," Hussain asked.

Amid the melee, BSP members also rushed to the Well raising the issue of coal block allocation.

As the uproar continued, an anguished Speaker remarked, "11 years ago, on this day, 13 people had sacrificed their lives. They did not sacrifice their lives for this. I will not adjourn the House."

The Speaker went ahead with the Question Hour despite the uproar and Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh answered supplementaries on the rural jobs scheme.

SP members were also seen in the Well demanding action against the agitating BSP members.

Amid the uproar, the Speaker first adjourned the House till 11:30 AM and then till noon. The House met briefly at noon and was adjourned till 2 PM after laying of papers.

Govt should announce date for hanging Afzal Guru: BJP

On the eleventh anniversary of Parliament attack, BJP today said the government should announce the date for hanging convict Afzal Guru today itself to pay "real tribute" to the martyrs of the strike.

"Real tribute would be only if the Home Minister assures the House today that we have paid tributes to the martyrs but their families and country will get relief only when he (Guru) would be hanged.

"If they fix a date (for hanging Guru) and announce it today, this would be the real tribute to these martyrs," the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj said inside Parliament House complex.

She was talking to reporters soon after paying homage to the nine martyrs of the 2001 Parliament attack.

Swaraj said every year the country pays homage to these martyrs. "But one question is still unanswered that the attacker who has been twice or thrice sentenced to death by the Supreme Court, why has he not been hanged so far?"

She said after the hanging of 26/11 Mumbai terror convict Ajmal Kasab, "hope has increased that the government will show courage to do what it has not done so far."

Minister of State for Home R P N Singh criticised Swaraj for making the demand, saying the occasion should not be politicised.

"We have just paid tributes to those martyrs. I think it is extremely unfortunate that the moment we get away from there, we get into politics... I think to politicise this thing on every December 13, is not paying real homage to martyrs of this country," he said.

Singh said matters related to hanging convicts are not dealt by Parliament and are handled by the courts.

"There is a process that has been explained by Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde. He has said the file is lying with him and he will look at it and make notings after the Parliament session," he said.

Govt committed to passing Whistle Blowers Protection Bill: Narayanasamy

The government is committed to passing of the Whistle Blowers Protection Bill during the current session of Parliament, Minister of State for Personnel V Narayanasamy told Rajya Sabha today.

He said during Question Hour that the Whistle Blowers Protection Bill, 2011 was passed by the Lok Sabha on December 27, 2011 and thereafter sent to the Upper House.

The Bill seeks to set up a regular mechanism to encourage persons to disclose information on corruption or willful misuse of power by public servants, including ministers.

It was listed for consideration on December 28 and 29 but could not be taken up for discussion and passing. It came up for consideration and passing in the Rajya Sabha on August 14 this year but "discussion remained inconclusive", Narayanasamy said.

The government, he said, gave notices for moving certain official amendments to the bill during the monsoon session.

Though the bill was listed for being taken up on a number of days in monsoon session, it could not be taken up for consideration.

He said notices were given last month for considering and passage of the bill along with amendments during the current winter session.

"The Government is committed to passing of the Bill...it is now a property of the House. We are prepared to discuss and pass the bill as early as possible," he said. "The Government is keen to get the bill passed at the earliest."

To a separate question, he said three per cent of government jobs have been reserved for persons with disabilities. Of this, one per cent each is reserved for persons suffering from blindness or low vision, hearing impairment and locomotor disability or cerebral palsy.

Promotions to higher grades are made as per provision of recruitment rules, he said.

"However, in cases where departmental promotion test is the only mode of promotion, proposal to give promotion on the basis of seniority or merit in service alone is not under consideration," he said.

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