Thursday, August 10 2006 18:57 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: The Lok Sabha Thursday witnessed turmoil and repeated adjournments as the opposition vehemently protested the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) MPs' demand that former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee apologise for his letter to Speaker Somnath Chatterjee.

The lower house was adjourned within 15 minutes after it met as CPI-M members stood up to seek an apology from Vajpayee for his letter that had sharply criticised Chatterjee's conduct of business in the house.

Alleging that the former prime minister had "denigrated" the chair, they wanted the house to take up the issue immediately after the speaker had read out messages paying homage to the martyrs of India's freedom movement and victims of the Aug 6, 1945 bombing in Hiroshima.

The MPs alleged that Vajpayee's letter - in which he had asked the speaker to command the respect of the members instead of demanding it - amounted to casting "aspersions on the speaker".

However, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) members interrupted the CPI-M MPs and opposed a discussion on the issue.

Chatterjee's repeated pleas to let the proceedings go ahead fell on deaf ears as the members were shouting down one another.

The drama continued when the house met again at 11.30 a.m., 1 p.m. and 1.30 p.m., when Deputy Speaker Charanjit Singh Atwal adjourned the proceedings for the day.

Vajpayee had written to the speaker on Aug 8 saying the NDA was extremely disappointed by the way the house is being run and the proceedings could be smooth if the presiding officer was able to inspire "confidence" in the opposition as he was able to do in the ruling parties.

The opposition had been stalling proceedings since last week alleging that the government had leaked a probe report, which had accused former foreign minister K. Natwar Singh of misusing his official post in securing oil coupons in the Iraqi food-for-oil programme.

Condemning the BJP's move to publicise the letter, CPI-M leaders said outside the house that Vajpayee should apologise.

However, Communist Party of India (CPI) leader Gurudas Dasgupta left it to Vajpayee. "We are not demanding an apology. If Vajpayee is gracious enough, he will (apologise). It will be highly proper," Dasgupta told reporters.