Lok Sabha adjourned due to AIADMK uproar over Karti Chidambaram issue

New Delhi: Proceedings of Lok Sabha were virtually washed out today following unabated noisy protest by AIADMK members demanding action against former Finance Minister P Chidambaram's son Karti on the Aircel-Maxis issue.

The proceedings were disrupted right from the start as the House was adjourned thrice since it assembled and finally till the day by Speaker Sumitra Mahajan in the afternoon, as AIADMK members stormed the Well and raised slogans pressing for action against those involved in the Aircel-Maxis telecom deal, including Karti.

Amid continued din, the Speaker asked AIADMK leader P Venugopal to speak on the issue they were trying to raise.

Venugopal demanded that the Prime Minister should come to the House and make a statement on the matter, which, he alleged also involved the former Finance Minister and a former DMK Minister.

His allegations that the former ministers had made hundreds of crores in the deal evoked sharp protests from the Congress members, who shouted back at him.

Defending himself on the issue, Karti said his business is fully compliant with all laws and regulations of the country and rejected charges of money laundering.

In a statement, he said, "one newspaper has made allegations against me, which have been adequately refuted in the past. Myself and my business are fully compliant with all laws and regulations."

Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Rajiv Pratap Rudy's assurance that the matter was in the Supreme Court and the government would do "whatever is within the law", failed to satisfy the agitated members who continued to raise slogans like "We want action", "Aircel-Maxis, why delay, why delay" and "NDA sarkar, take action".

The AIADMK members also displayed copies of an English daily, which claimed that Karti had invested in real estate in various countries quoting reports of the Enforcement Directorate and Income Tax authorities which had carried out searches at his premises.

Amidst the uproar, Speaker Sumitra Mahajan adjourned the House for the day at around 1440 hours.

Trouble started as soon as the House assembled for the day as AIADMK members trooped into the Well chanting slogans.