Ruckus in Parliament Tharoor target

Minister of State for External Affairs Mr Shashi Tharoor Dismissing demands for his resignation, today rejected Opposition allegations of any misuse of authority to influence IPL Kochi franchise's successful bid or get any financial gains for him or his any of his close friends.In the Lok Sabha, he described the notion that somebody is some sort of proxy for him is insulting for him and to the professionalism and business ethics of the investors and their associates.
He asserted that it has been clear for some time that the real motive behind the public controversy that has been created around him was to make the Kochi team unviable and to assign his IPL franchise elsewhere than Kerala. He asserted that he has neither invested nor received any financial benefit from IPL Kochi team.
Mr. Tharoor maintained that his role in mentoring the Kochi Franchisee is within the bounds of appropriate conduct for a member of parliament from Thiruvananthapuram and a member of the Union council of minister.

Tharoor issue rocked both the houses of parliament finally leading to their adjournment for the day.After the Dantewara massacre issue, opposition took up the Tharoor controversy to put pressure on the government.As the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha met for the day, the opposition members sought the suspension of question hour to take up the issue for discussion leading to their first adjournment till 12 noon.After that Parliamentary affairs minister Pawan Kumar Bansal assured the house Tharoor will make a statement on the issue, the opposition refused to relent and continued to raise slogans seeking his removal from the council of ministers.This led to the adjournment of the Lok Sabha till 2 pm and the Rajya Sabha for the day. As the Lok Sabha mat at 2 PM, there was no change in the situation and the house was adjourned for the day.Both Houses of Parliament had to be adjourned on Friday during Question Hour after opposition parties created an uproar demanding that Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor submit his resignation over the Kochi IPL ownership controversy.

As soon as the Lok Sabha met for the day, members of BJP, SP, RJD and other parties demanded a discussion on the controversy surrounding Tharoor on the Kochi IPL team ownership issue.Minister of Parliamentary Affairs P K Bansal informed the House that Tharoor would make a statement in the Lok Sabha at 12 noon but the opposition benches were not pacified.A miffed Bansal was heard complaining that Question Hour should not be done away with and Speaker Meira Kumar also pleaded with the Opposition to allow the proceedings to continue in the wake of the minister's statement.Rajya Sabha plunged into turmoil on Friday as the opposition wanted a full-fledged discussion on the controversy surrounding Tharoor and the Kochi IPL team, leading to adjournment of the House for the day.



The trouble started soon after the House met for the day with opposition BJP demanding suspension of the Question Hour and taking up the Tharoor issue. As the protest continued, Chairman Hamid Ansari adjourned the House within few minutes upto noon.When the House reassembled, BJP member M Venkaiah Naidu, joined by members from SP, AIADMK and JD(U), said that the government was not taking the concerns of the opposition seriously on this issue.The government should come out on its own to clarify whenever an issue became a controversy rather than opposition pressing for it, Naidu said.

Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Prithviraj Chavan said that Tharoor was ready to explain his position. "Please permit him to make a statement," he said.
Deputy Chairman K Rahman Khan said he could allow a discussion right away during Zero Hour and he could also do away with the three minute limit for each member to speak.The opposition is demanding the sacking of Tharoor alleging misuse of official position in regard to the ownership of the Kochi IPL team.Tharoor rejects opposition allegations Skirting demands for his resignation, Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor rejected Opposition allegations of any misuse of authority to influence IPL Kochi franchise's successful bid or get any financial gains for him or to his friend Sunanda Pushkar."The notion that somebody is some sort of "proxy" for me is frankly insulting to me and to the professionalism and business ethics of the investors and their associates, particularly since I could not have any role in influencing the final outcome of a sealed bidding process."I have not not benefited, and do not not intend to benefit, in any way financial from my association with the team now now or at a later stage," he said in a statement in Lok Sabha which was tabled after Opposition members created an uproar seeking his removal.He said it has been clear for some time that the real motive behind the public controversy that has been created around him was to make the Kochi team unviable and to assign his IPL franchise elsewhere than Kerala."I believe all fair-minded Indians would hope that such tactics will not not be allowed to prevail. The allegations are baseless, ill-founded and ill-motivated. I trust, Madam Speaker, that I have clarified my position to the satisfaction of this august House," he said.The Opposition parties have been gunning for Tharoor's removal from the government ever since a controversy broke out on the IPL Kochi franchise bid. They have alleged that the Minister has misused his office to get sweat equity of the value of Rs.70 crore for his friend Pushkar from the team owners.
With the main opposition BJP announcing that it will not allow the two houses to function till the removal of the minister, it remains to be seen what strategy government adopts to ensure smooth functioning of Parliament.