A discussion on the Mumbai blasts in the Rajya Sabha led to adjournment of the day’s proceedings, when Samajwadi Party MP Janeshwar Mishra referred to the RSS as a terrorist organisation as it had been instrumental in Mahatma Gandhi’s assassination. Reacting to this, BJP members rushed to the well of the House and started raising slogans defending the RSS and asking the Speaker to expunge Mishra’s remarks. While the House was adjourned for 20 minutes in hope that the discussion may resume and the 25 remaining speakers could make their points, on resumption, the chaos began again.

BJP demanded that Home Minister Shivraj Patil must announce if SIMI is behind the recent terror attacks in Mumbai and Srinagar. Patil tried to assuage the members by saying, ‘‘I am not here to adjudge anyone guilty or to give anyone a clean chit.’’ To this, BJP members hollered that the Home Minister was trying to protect SIMI and accused the SP of being SIMI-sympathisers.

Earlier, BJP leaders Manohar Joshi and Murli Manohar Joshi made impassioned pleas to Patil to crack down on the perpetrators of the blasts and to look at the bigger intent behind the terror spree.

Earlier, Joshi asked Patil if money was a problem for the government in countering terrorism. ‘‘If it’s a problem, let us know. The whole country would come together like it did in 1962 and donate money, jewellery and properties so as to protect India.’’ In response, Patil turned to Finance Minister P Chidambaram and said, ‘‘Our Finance Minister has never told us that we don’t have enough money when it comes to countering terrorism.’’