Manish Tiwari slams Advani

Congress leader Manish Tiwari on Wednesday slammed Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) patriarch LK Advani for calling the ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA) II government 'illegitimate'.

Tiwari said that anyone who believes in democracy should condemn the remark.

"When a senior BJP leader makes such a remark that the government is illegitimate then anyone who believes in democracy should condemn it," Tiwari told reporters.

Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar adjourned the house till 2 pm after it witnessed ruckus on the very first day of the Monsoon session over Advani´s remark.

Congress lawmakers immediately started shouting slogans and demanded Advani to retract his words.

Advani soon rose to say that he was referring to the 2008 confidence vote incident during UPA I and not the 2009 elections. He also withdrew his words, supposedly a slip of tongue.

He said he was not referring to UPA II or the 2009 elections as illegitimate.

With the situation going out of hand, Speaker Meira Kumar intervened and urged Advani to take back his word.

"You were speaking right but one word hurt everyone. You can take back that," she advised to Advani.

Kumar said Advani´s remark would be expunged. She again and again also urged Advani to withdraw his words.

"I have withdrawn and I have said that I referred to 2008 and not 2009 Lok Sabha election," Advani said later.

Congress lawmakers and ministers like Kapil Sibal, Sushil Kumar Shinde, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal and even UPA chairperson objected to Adavni´s remark.

Bansal said Advani denigrated the House. Sonia Gandhi also was seen protesting the remark.

Later, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj also rose and tried to defend Advani´s "slip of tongue" but the pandemonium continued.