NEW DELHI, May 13: The Zero Hour in the Lok Sabha for the second day was dominated by happenings in Bihar. If it was the suicide note of Harish Khandelwal, an accused in the multi-crore Bihar fodder scam, which created a stir on Monday, it was the assault on Bharatiya Janata Party member Rajeev Pratap Rudi on May 3 during the Bihar bandh and the issue of alleged deterioration in law and order situation almost stalled the proceedings in the House on Tuesday.Raising the issue of law and order, Ranjan Yadav alias Pappu Yadav (SP), supported by BJP and Samata Party members, drew attention to the alleged mass rape of a mother and her daughter in Chatra recently.

The members said 15 people were killed in Kodram yesterday.They demanded a statement from Home Minister Indrajit Gupta on the situation.Nitish kumar (Samata Party) and Lal Muni Chubey (BJP) sought the dismissal of the Laloo Prasad Yadav Government in view of the ``collapse''of law and order machinery in the state. Pappu Yadav said Maoist Communist Centre (MCC) militants were intimidating those raising such issues.M A Fatmi and Ram Kripal Yadav, (both JD), supported by fellow party colleages, objected to what they described as wild allegations and said such matters should be discussed in Bihar assembly rather than in Parliament.In contrast, the Question Hour was enlivened by Minister of State for Welfare B S Ramoowalia. While responding to a supplementary, Ramoowalia said that he knew what the question was about. When Acharya asked how did he know the question when it was not asked, he shot back, ``I am a hard-working minister and I know the question.'' The members had no option but to burst in laughter.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.