Uproar over Guj fake encounter issue

NEW DELHI: The Rajya Sabha on Thursday witnessed uproar over the Gujarat fake encounter issue with Samajwadi Party and BJP members raising slogans and counter-slogans disrupting proceedings for 10 minutes.

Soon after Kapila Vatsyayan took oath as an Independent member, Shahid Siddiqui (SP) said Muslims were being branded as terrorists and killed in fake encounters in Gujarat.

BJP members countered this by trying to raise the recent killing of farmers in Nandigram in West Bengal.

Chairman Bhairon Singh Shekhawat pleaded for allowing the Question Hour to be taken up.

But, the SP member was unrelenting and wanted suspension of the Question Hour to take up discussion on the issue.

SS Ahluwalia (BJP) said his party's March 15 notice for discussion on Nandigram killings was still pending.

The two sides resorted to slogan-shouting but the Chairman ruled that nothing would go on record.

All through, Congress members maintained a studied silence. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was present in the House when the issue was raised.

After ten minutes of uproar, the House took up the listed business.