Combative Congress disrupts Parliament over National Herald case

No sooner had both the Houses assembled for the day, Congress members stormed the Well, shouting slogans against the government and refusing to heed to the Chair's repeated pleas that they return to their seats and raise the issue.

While no Congress member specified the issue agitating them, their vociferous protests came a day after the Delhi High Court, in a blow to Sonia and Rahul Gandhi, declined to give them any relief in the National Herald case, asking them to appear before the trial court.

The court today, however, allowed their exemption pleas for the day, but directed them to appear in person on December 19.

"Down with dictatorship... Vendetta politics won't work," the Congress members shouted in Lok Sabha with party chief Sonia Gandhi looking on.

With proceeding being disrupted, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Rajiv Pratap Rudy took a dig at them, wondering what had happened in a day that shook the Congress members so much.

"Nation wants to hear what their issue is. Nobody knows it. We are ready to hear. Let them go to their seats and raise it," he said but the agitating members refused to budge.

Speaker Sumitra Mahajan chided them time and again and continued with the Question Hour amidst the uproar.

"I am ready to allow you to speak but I don't know what your issue is. Someone tell me what is your issue," she said.

It was a similar story in the Upper House which saw repeated adjournments over the protests by Congress members.