Imphal: The Opposition Congress MLAs stalled Manipur Assembly proceedings on Tuesday by haranguing for disqualification of forest minister Th. Shyamkumar Singh under the 10th Schedule of the Constitution, forcing Speaker Y. Khemchand Singh to adjourn the House for an hour.

The Congress has been demanding disqualification of Shyamkumar Singh who joined the BJP after getting elected on a Congress ticket last year.

The Opposition members repeated Monday's walkout in protest against Khemchand Singh's ruling not to allow the Congress to raise the Shyamkumar issue on the floor of the House.

After Tuesday's question hour was over, Congress member Akoijam Mirabai Devi protested Khemchand Singh's comment on her point of order raised on Monday in the House on the issue.

After the Speaker had ruled against raising the issue on Monday, the Congress members walked out of the Assembly. Later, Khemchand Singh told reporters at his chamber that the issue raised by Mirabai Devi was not a point of order as the matter was not related to the day's proceedings.

"Passing remarks outside the House on a matter discussed in the House is in contravention to convention and rules. It affects sanctity of the House," Mirabai Devi said immediately after Tuesday's question hour.

As Khemchand Singh tried to intervene, several Congress members stood up protesting the "delay" in disqualification of Shyamkumar Singh.

Leader of the House and chief minister N. Biren Singh intervened, saying conduct by members against Khemchand Singh is improper.

However, his remark evoked sharp reaction from Congress member K. Meghachandra who retorted that he was not making allegations against the Speaker.

"His (Speaker's) comments are in the newspapers. So this should be discussed. Why is the Speaker not giving cognizance to the petition for disqualification of Shyamkumar?" Meghachandra asked.

Whenever Congress members spoke, power supply to their microphones went off, making their voice inaudible. This prompted Mirabai Devi to protest "cutting off power supply" to them, saying it affects privileges of the members.

After Khemchand Singh's repeated pleas to the Congress members to allow the House to take up the next business of the House failed to pacify the Congress members, he adjourned the House for one hour.

When the House reassembled, Khemchand Singh ruled that the matter should be settled in his chamber.

Congress members protested by shouting that they were speaking in adherence to rules.

At this point Biren Singh intervened, saying the Speaker's ruling should not be contested.

The Congress members finally made a noisy walkout after which the general discussion on demands for supplementary grants continued.