New Delhi: With the Opposition taking strong exception to reported remarks of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati about collecting money for party coffers, government on March 4 told Lok Sabha it would make a statement on the issue on march 5.

Acting on Speaker Manohar Joshi's directive, Information and Broadcasting Minister Sushma Swaraj said she had spoken to Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani who had sought a day's time to collect relevant information from the state government. He would make a statement on March 5, Swaraj added.

Earlier, both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha witnessed turmoil with the issue being raised by agitated Samajwadi Party members seeking adjournment of the Question Hour.

In the Lok Sabha, the SP members trooped into the Well of the House charging Mayawati with "encouraging corruption" and seeking a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into it.

The motions, moved by Ram Gopal Yadav in Rajya Sabha and Akhilesh Singh and Ramjilal Suman in the Lower House, were rejected, but Lok Sabha Speaker Manohar Joshi asked government to make a statement.

The members also demanded Mayawati's resignation for reportedly asking Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) Legislators to collect money for the party coffers from the local areas development fund.

The SP members were supported in the Lower House by Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Raghuvansh Prasad Singh, P R Dasmunsi (Congress) and other Opposition leaders who said such reported statements "lowered the dignity of Parliament". They also demanded that privilege notice be issued against Mayawati.

In the Rajya Sabha, Ramgopal Yadav's motion was rejected by deputy chairperson Najma Heptulla.

PTI