New Delhi: Lok Sabha was adjourned today (Aug 17, 2004) for 45 minutes amid pandemonium over the reported remarks against freedom fighter Vinayak Damodar Savarkar by Union Minister Mani Shankar Aiyer, for which agitated Shiv Sena members sought an apology.

As soon as the House assembled, Shiv Sena members stood up and vociferously demanded an apology from Aiyer alleging he had denigrated the entire lot of freedom fighters by reportedly making such a statement.

Deputy Speaker Charanjit Singh Atwal, who was in the Chair, tried in vain to control the agitated members who kept on raising slogans against Aiyer and the Congress party.

Atwal then allowed senior Shiv Sena member Anant Geete, who had moved a motion for suspension of the Question Hour on the issue, to speak.

Geete alleged that Aiyer, while inaugurating the 'Swatantrata Jyoti' at the Cellular Jail in Port Blair on the Independence Day, had made "derogatory" remarks against Savarkar, thereby denigrating the memory of all freedom fighters.

After a few minutes, the Deputy Speaker requested Geete to let the Question Hour function as he had disallowed the motion.

But when the agitated Shiv Sena members kept on shouting slogans and trooped into the well, Atwal adjourned the House till 12:00 hours, barely 15 minutes after it had assembled.