September 2, 1981, Forty Years Ago: Uproar Continues

There will be fuller discussions on Wednesday when two Call Attention motions are taken up, but the Opposition fought for 100 minutes in the Rajya Sabha and won its point — that the discussion should begin on Tuesday itself as agreed to on Monday.

Corruption charges against A R Antulay, Chief Minister of Maharashtra, rocked both Houses of Parliament for the second day in succession and shot out the entire Question Hour in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday. There will be fuller discussions on Wednesday when two Call Attention motions are taken up, but the Opposition fought for 100 minutes in the Rajya Sabha and won its point — that the discussion should begin on Tuesday itself as agreed to on Monday. In the Lok Sabha, an unsuccessful bid was made to get an adjournment motion admitted. Even then, a quarter of question time was blocked. Congress (I) members added fuel to the fire by making charges against Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Charan Singh and George Fernandes. Opposition speakers took serious objection to the distribution of some papers among Congress (I) members by the Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Sitaram Kesri.

Iran Leadership

Moving fast to fill a power vacuum after the fire-bomb assassination of the president and prime minister of Iran, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini’s regime named the Interior Minister on Tuesday as Iran’s interim prime minister, the official Pars news agency reported. It said Speaker Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani announced the designation of Interior Minister Ayatollah Mohammad Reza Mahdavi Kani as provisional premier at the end of an open session of the Majlis.

Antulay In Delhi

Maharashtra Chief Minister A R Antulay made an airdash to Delhi following summons from the party high command. It is understood that the party leadership has sought a detailed account of the chief minister’s fund collection as it will have to face the opposition onslaught in Parliament.

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