Friday, November 25 2005 12:33 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Lok Sabha was today (Nov 25, 2005) rocked for the second consecutive day over the Volcker issue with an unrelenting opposition demanding resignation of United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Union Minister Natwar Singh.

Slogan-shouting National Democratic Alliance (NDA) members trooped to the well of the House provoking the Treasury Benches to raise counter slogans and demanding that Parliament be allowed to function.

Repeated pleas by Speaker Somnath Chatterjee to restore order went unheeded forcing him to adjourn the House for 45 minutes till noon.

"It is extremely painful and sad that the country's image is being spoilt for partisan political interests. I am appealing to all members, please cooperate and don't spoil the image of Parliament and the country", Chatterjee said amid the din.

"I am sorry to say that the House is being held to ransom by some members who have been elected to represent the people in the House," the Speaker said.

The NDA members shouted "Sonia, Natwar, istifa do" (Sonia Gandhi and Natwar Singh quit), while the Congress members shouted back "BJP sharam karo, Parliament ko chalne do" (BJP be shameful, allow Parliament to function).

At one point, the Speaker warned a BJP member he would not give her a chance to speak in the future if she continued raising slogans. But this did not deter the Opposition members who continued with their protest.

The Opposition has been demanding that Natwar Singh, whose name figures as a "non contractual" beneficiary in the Volcker Committee report on alleged payoffs in the Iraqi oil deals, should step down from the Council of Ministers and since Congress party too has been named in the findings, Gandhi should resign.