New Delhi, Aug 1 : The Lok Sabha at the beginning of its monsoon session on Monday faced a diplomatic embarassment of sorts when the Speaker Meira Kumar began reading out her welcome remarks for the visiting Sri Lankan parliamentary delegation and the AIADMK MPs raising slogans condemning what they called atrocities on Tamils.
The plight of Sri Lankan Tamils found an echo with AIADMK members seeking to embarrass the Sri Lankan Parliamentary delegation by raising slogans which was denounced by Speaker Meira Kumar.
AIADMK members led by M Thambidurai were on their feet raising slogans on the plight of Lankan Tamils as Kumar introduced the visitors led by Sri Lankan Parliament Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa.
CPI leader Gurudas Dasgupta asked Thambidurai to take his seat.“They have come at our invitation and you must honour and respect them,” Kumar told the protesting members sternly.
As the Speaker wished the visiting delegation a pleasant stay in the country, the entire House thumped their desks vigorously so as to drown feeble cries of ‘shame, shame' from some AIADMK members.The visiting delegation also witnessed the proceedings of the Rajya Sabha. PTI
