Tuesday, December 21 2004 15:04 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Vociferously demanding dismissal of Laloo Prasad from the Union Cabinet against whom an FIR has been lodged by the Election Commission for violation of the Model Code of Conduct by distributing money among people in Bihar, angry NDA (National Democratic Alliance) members today (Dec 21, 2004) walked out of Lok Sabha.

Responding to the issue after members from both sides had spoken for half-an-hour, Leader of the House Pranab Mukherjee said the matter was within the purview of the Election Commission and it was for this Constitutional authority to decide.

Rejecting the Opposition demand for an explanation by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the matter, Mukherjee said "neither Prime Minister nor anyone else has to decide about it...the question of collective responsibility does not arise...it is for the Election Commission to decide."

"The matter is within the purview of the Election Commission. Let Parliament not interfere in its functioning," he said, adding the Commission has also not yet conclusively found anyone guilty.

NDA chairman Atal Bihari Vajpayee said hundred rupee notes were distributed by Laloo not for removing poverty but with the aim of winning the forthcoming Assembly polls.

"What is the use of the Model Code of Conduct when it is not observed. The Minister (Laloo) is not even ashamed and is openly saying he has distributed money," Vajpayee said, adding, "Law is there but morality has its own place which cannot be ignored."

"The Leader of the House has let us down with his response. We have still some hope from the Prime Minister," Vajpayee said.

The NDA members, led by Leader of the Opposition Jaswant Singh, walked out after Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad said show cause notice has been issued by the Election Commission to the RJD president who has been given time till the afternoon of December 24 to reply.

The Government would not be able say anything on it in the House until Laloo Prasad responds to the show cause notice, Azad said.

TDP (Telugu Desam Party) members, who also joined the walkout, said Laloo Prasad's action was in violation of the rule of law and it was not ethical on the part of the Government to continue.

The BJP and other Opposition members, who had raised the issue yesterday also, wanted to know from the Government if the matter would be referred to Parliament's Ethics Committee as Laloo Prasad has violated the Code of Conduct as a Union Minister and a Member of Parliament.

Singh said Azad had promised to get back to the House today in this regard and the action being taken by the Election Commission was a separate issue.

Azad said as the Election Commission has taken suo motu action on the violation of the code of conduct, it was only appropriate to wait for the response of the RJD president for which he has been given time till December 24.

Also the show cause notice has been issued to RJD president not in his capacity as Union Cabinet Minister or Member of Parliament, Azad said.

Until Laloo Prasad responds, Government would not be able to say anything on the matter merely on the basis of an FIR filed by the Election Commission, he said.

Dissatisfied with the Government's response, BJP and TDP members along with other NDA members walked out of the House after 20 minutes of noisy scenes.