NEW DELHI: The Government on Tuesday pushed through much of its legislative business scheduled for the day in both Houses of Parliament amid intense slogan-shouting. Being the anniversary of the Babri Masjid demolition, the day saw ruling benches demanding the arrest of the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, L. K. Advani, while the National Democratic Alliance continued to press for the resignation of Sonia Gandhi as National Advisory Council chairperson and Natwar Singh from the Union Council of Ministers on the Volcker Report issue.

Through the din in the Lok Sabha in the first half — which saw two quick adjournments — Union Finance Minister P. Chidambaram introduced the Taxation Laws (Second Amendment) Bill, 2005, to amend the Income Tax Act, 1961, and the Finance Act, 2005.

When the House met again after lunch, Speaker Somnath Chatterjee steered the passage of the Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill, 2005, and the State Emblem of India (Prohibition of Improper Use) Bill, 2004, without further discussion.

In between the pandemonium, party leaders got to say their bit — the Opposition on the Volcker Report and the ruling side on the Babri Masjid demolition. Intervening on behalf of the Opposition, Vijay Kumar Malhotra (Bharatiya Janata Party) questioned the delay in accepting Mr. Natwar Singh's resignation.

``If the Government could get the President to clear the dissolution of the Bihar Assembly from Moscow, why is it that Mr. Natwar Singh's resignation cannot be accepted by the Prime Minister from Moscow.''

While Basudeb Acharia (Communist Party of India-Marxist) demanded the arrest of Mr. Advani in the Babri Masjid demolition case, Gurudas Dasgupta (CPI) said: ``After leading the movement to demolish the mosque, now the Leader of the Opposition is demolishing Indian democracy.''

Rajya Sabha also witnessed similar scenes with three bills to amend the Chartered Accountants, Cost Accountants and Company Secretaries Acts being introduced amid protests from the Opposition. Though an effort was made to take up question hour for about 30 minutes, Chairman Bhairon Singh Shekhawat gave up in the face of stiff opposition.

Trouble began as soon as the House assembled in the morning as the NDA wanted the Leader of the Opposition, Jaswant Singh, to be allowed to speak on the Volcker issue.

However, Mr. Shekhawat said in that case members of the Treasury benches would also be given a chance to reply. The ruling benches said they would not allow this during question hour and insisted on taking up questions; resulting in the first adjournment.

With both sides sticking to their guns, Deputy Chairman K. Rahman Khan adjourned the House for the day soon after it met again after tabling of papers and introduction of bills.

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