NEW DELHI: The three-week-long logjam in Parliament seems to have tested the patience of the BJP's eminence grise, L K Advani, who turned his exasperation on Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan and parliamentary affairs minister Ananth Kumar today in a hot-mic like incident.
With noisy protests again stalling the Lok Sabha today, the 89-year MP expressed distress over the way the proceedings were being conducted, saying neither the speaker nor the parliamentary affairs minister was running the House.
Visibly agitated, Advani was heard saying, "Neither the speaker nor the parliamentary affairs minister is running the House."
The Lok Sabha was in familiar bedlam again today, with some opposition members even going over to the treasury side and raising slogans in the Well. The speaker adjourned the House 15 minutes ahead of lunch, amid slogan-shouting by Congress and TMC members.
"I am going to tell the Speaker that she is not running the House ... I am going to say it publicly. Both sides are a party to this," Advani said as Kumar tried to pacify the senior parliamentarian. The minister pointed to the media gallery, apparently suggesting that his comments might be reported.
As the House was adjourned, Advani asked a Lok Sabha official till what time the proceedings were adjourned. Told that it was till 2 pm, he snapped, "Why not sine die?"