26/11 in LS: Advani, Pranab fight it out

Nov. 26: While the nation on Thursday observed the first anniversary of the Mumbai terror attack and paid homage to its victims, in the Lok Sabha, two of India’s senior-most parliamentarians were locked in a verbal fracas — over relief to the families of those very victims. It got so ugly that Speaker Meira Kumar had to remind the House of the solemn occasion to bring it back to order.

Leader of the Opposition L.K. Advani voiced concern during Zero Hour about the “slow pace” of relief to the victims of 26/11. When no one from the treasury benches responded, BJP general secretary and Advani-protégé H.N. Ananth Kumar demanded an immediate response, evoking an uncharacteristically angry outburst from finance minister Pranab Mukherjee.

“You are making politics out of this. Earlier also you did it, and were paid back,” Mr Mukherjee thundered, “You will be again paid back in your own coin.”

“I have come only to listen to him (Advani). Not to hear from you (Ananth Kumar). Don’t make it a practice,” Mr Mukherjee snubbed the MP from Karnataka, adding that every zero hour reference could not be answered.

The remark led to heated exchange of words between Mr Mukherjee and BJP MPs, led by Mr Kumar. Amid cries of “shame, shame” from some members, Mr Advani said that out of 403 persons eligible for relief, only 118 had received cheques so far; while 64 of them were eligible for railway jobs, only 32 had received offers till date.