New Delhi, Nov. 29: The stand-off in the Rajya Sabha over Shibu Soren is likely to continue with the Opposition insisting that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh make a statement and the government refusing to make any such commitment.

BJP deputy leader in the upper House Sushma Swaraj repeated the party’s demand that Singh answer a few questions:

What was the time when Soren was convicted'

When was he arrested'

When did he resign'

When did the Prime Minister accept his resignation'

The government, on the other hand, refused to give in. “Why should the Prime Minister make a statement on Soren in Parliament' Let them (the Opposition) keep demanding. The Prime Minister’s job was to get Soren’s resignation and accept it. He did that,” said parliamentary affairs minister Priya Ranjan Das Munshi.

Sushma said the BJP would support any move by the government to amend the Representation of People Act, 1951, so that persons against whom charges have been framed cannot become MPs.

Child email in vain

The Lok Sabha, too, erupted in chaos over the issue despite an email plea by a child to MPs to teach fellow citizens values and responsibilities of leadership.

Speaker Somnath Chatterjee distributed to the floor leaders copies of an email from Nishant Nihar, who wanted guidance on how to serve the downtrodden.

Later, Chatterjee made an oblique reference to cricket coach Greg Chappell, asking the MPs: “Is this the way we function' Is this the example we are setting' That is why even a cricket coach is abusing us.”