PHOTO: V.V. KRISHNAN

STERN MESSAGE: CPI (M) leaders Sitaram Yechury (centre) and Brinda Karat (left in middle row) among other MPs at a protest on the Parliament premises in New Delhi on Thursday.

NEW DELHI: Protests against the visit of U.S. President George Bush raged both inside and outside Parliament with the Left and Samajwadi Party members holding a demonstration in front of the main gate of the building and then stalling proceedings of the House leading to an adjournment.

Members of the four Left parties, the CPI, CPI (M), RSP and AIFB, along with those from the SP held placards and staged a demonstration for nearly an hour in the porch leading the main gate of Parliament House and carried it inside both the Houses just as the proceedings began for the day.

Raising slogans ``Bush Go Back,'' the MPs carried placards that read ``War Criminal Go Back,'' ``Killer Bush'' and "UPA Government stop surrender to U. S. Imperialism.'' While some held a poster reading: ``B-Barbaric U-Uncivilised S-Sadist H-Horrendous.''

Green turns red

The SP MPs stood out in contrast donning red colour caps unlike the green, the party colour they sport on some occasions.

Once the House assembled for the day's proceedings, the Left and SP members were on their feet demanding suspension of question hour. They took a brief break as the Lok Sabha paid homage to its former member Ram Lakhan Singh Yadav. There after, the SP MPs trooped to the well of the House, as did some Left MPs. Barely two minutes later Deputy Speaker Charanjit Singh Atwal adjourned the House till post-lunch.

When the House resumed, the Left MPs demanded that Government spell out the details. The Government announced that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh would make a detailed statement on the deal in Parliament.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Priyaranjan Dasmunsi in the Lok Sabha and Suresh Pachauri in the Rajya Sabha gave an assurance to this effect in both the Houses on Thursday after members sought details on the agreement.

As soon as the House re-assembled, CPI (M) members said the invitation to Mr. Bush amounted to a disrespect to Parliament because it had passed a unanimous resolution against his action in Iraq. Ramji Lal Suman (SP) said the Prime Minister had broken protocol by going to the airport to welcome Mr. Bush.

Kharabela Swain was critical of the Left and SP opposition to the Bush visit — particularly since they had no objection to visits from the heads of government of Pakistan and China, which had attacked India. While RJD members associated with the Left position, Mohammad Salim (CPI-M) said the Congress and the BJP were together on this issue.

Under criticism for ``buckling under U.S. pressure'', Mr. Dasmunsi said the Government would never compromise with the country's sovereignty and the Congress was second to none in fighting imperialism and colonialism.

In the Rajya Sabha, the demand for details on the agreement was first made by Nilotpal Basu (CPI-M) and echoed by Sushma Swaraj (BJP) who said it was important that the Government clarify soon given the number of questions that have been raised on the India-U.S. deal.

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