New Delhi, Nov. 25: Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee today rejected an adjournment notice served by NDA leaders for a discussion on the Mitrokhin papers and the Volcker committee report.

“There is no justification for adjourning the House as the notices refer to more than one matter and these are not very specific. These further do not relate to a matter for which the government is responsible and are not matters of recent occurrence,” Chatterjee said.

Both Houses of Parliament were adjourned for the second consecutive day as the NDA clamoured for the resignation of Congress president Sonia Gandhi as chairperson of the National Advisory Council and former foreign minister Natwar Singh, who has been named in the Volcker committee report on Iraq’s oil-for-food scam.

The Opposition has been demanding that “non-contractual” beneficiaries named in the Volcker committee report quit from the council of ministers ? Natwar is now a minister without portfolio.

The Mitrokhin papers apparently reveal that Russia’s KGB had funded the Congress and the Left during the Cold War.

Chatterjee, however, admitted a notice for a discussion on the Volcker report under Rule 184. “In my discretion as the Speaker, I have admitted the motion under Rule 184 even though it is pending an inquiry,” he said.

The NDA and the government have worked out an arrangement that the Opposition would keep the heat on the Centre this week and allow normal business to resume from next week.

The NDA leaders continued shouting slogans and forced early adjournments in both Houses, prompting parliamentary affairs minister Priya Ranjan Das Munshi to tell the Opposition: “We are ready to discuss it (the Volcker report) now.”

The Speaker requested the Opposition members to go back to their seats but they ignored him. “It is extremely painful and sad that the country’s image is being spoilt for partisan political interests. I am appealing to all members, please cooperate and don’t spoil the image of Parliament and the country.”

“Sonia, Natwar, istifa do (Sonia, Natwar resign)”, the NDA members shouted, to which Congress MPs retorted: “BJP sharam karo, Parliament ko chalne do (Have some shame, allow the Parliament to function)”.

As the war of words continued, an anguished Chatterjee said: “I am sorry the House is being held to ransom by some members who have been elected to represent the people.”