New Delhi: Major Opposition parties on December 5 staged a walkout from Lok Sabha as Defence Minister George Fernandes rose to reply to a question during Question Hour.

Making a vociferous protest at re-induction of Fernandes into the Union Cabinet without being cleared by the probe panel on the tehelka issue, members of Congress, four Left parties, Rashtriya Janata Dal and Republican Party of India staged a walkout as soon as the Defence Minister started replying to the question on production of rifles and light machine guns.

After the walkout, members from the Treasury Benches including those from Bharatiya Janata Party, Telugu Desam Party and Samata Party protested the Opposition stance on the issue.

Suspended Trinamool Congress MP Ajit Panja objected to the walkout saying, "it is not only an affront to the Minister but to the entire House". He demanded enforcement of the established guidelines on walkouts.

Responding to his remarks, Speaker Manohar Joshi said he would speak to the leaders of the Opposition parties on the issue.

Later, Fernandes replied to the question by Chandra Vijay Singh saying the Army was satisfied with the 5.56 mm rifle being produced by the ordnance factories, about 2.76 lakh of which had so far been delivered.

PTI