Opposition walks out of Lok Sabha over Karnataka

Major opposition parties, including the Congress and DMK, on Tuesday stormed out of the Lok Sabha over the political crisis in Karnataka where several Congress and JD-S MLAs have quit, putting the coalition government in a crisis.

The House was plunged into uproar when a Congress request to raise the issue during Zero Hour was not allowed by Speaker Om Birla.

Congress and DMK MPs immediately trooped near the Speaker's podium raising slogans like "we want justice".

The Speaker pointed out that he had allowed the Congress on Monday to speak on the issue. "But don't give out an impression outside Parliament that it is a place for sloganeering and showing placards."

Birla added: "Don't make the House look like a municipal corporation hall."

Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury hit out at the government and asked it to stop "poaching politics".

The Congress has accused the BJP of destabilizing the Congress-JD-S coalition government in Karnataka by luring its MLAs to cross over to the BJP.

"The opposition has a major role in taking forward the country... We will raise the issue. It is the government's prerogative to take the decision. We are doing our job. Poaching politics should be stopped," Chowdhury said.

Later, the Congress, DMK, NCP and National Conference trooped out of the the House before the government's response.

It was the first time in the 17th Lok Sabha when the Congress staged a walkout.IANS