As the Lok Sabha, paralysed since Monday, began, Speaker Meira Kumar tried to restore order in the house by giving a chance to the Yadav trio air their views on Women's Reservation Bill right at the start of the question hour. Bit it did not help. They were back in the well with their MPs raising slogans and forcing adjournment despite Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, also the leader of the house, promising to consult them before introducing the bill.

Most members were engaged in heated debate in groups during 25 minutes of adjournment during  question hour and PC Chacko, who was in the chair at noon, was forced to adjourn the house for another two hours as the irate members did not allow even the usual laying of papers and reports.

The general budget debate and related appropriation bills that are allotted three days for debate appeared jinxed as this was the second day when they just remained on the agenda. The government will move the house on Friday to directly put the bills and the general budget to vote without debate for release of funds for part of the next financial year until the full budget is passed later in April.

Samajwadi Party, Rashtriya Janata Dal and Janata Dal (United) members trooped into the well as soon as the house began with question hour but retracted back to their seats when the speaker invited SP leader Mulayam Singh Yadav to speak and asked him to call back members to their seats. JD(U) chief Sharad Yadav and RJD chief Lalu Prasad followed suit, enunciating their views and stressing that, contrary to the impression, they were not at all opposed to women's reservation.

But all three pleaded for quota to Muslim and backward class women, suggesting that 'creamy layer' can be excluded, and pressed the government to first develop a consensus through an all-party meeting before bringing the bill to the Lok Sabha instead of browbeating opponents with "marshals" as happened in the Rajya Sabha.

Mukherjee responded, stressing that there was no harm in holding an all-party meeting to explore convergence of views that has eluded all past 13 years. He promised to consult them before bringing the bill passed by the Rajya Sabha in the lower house and pointed out that all parties can air their viewpoints even during the debate on the bill. He even pointed out past instances when one house passed a constitution amendment bill but the other house rejected it and thus it did not enter the statute.

The Yadavs, however, felt there was still no firm assurance nor any indication on how the government wants to help out the Muslim, Dalit and OBC women and so they again stormed into the well of the house with party colleagues, forcing the adjournment.

As soon as the house was adjourned, the Yadav trio went to Mukherjee and wanted him to give a firm date of the all-party meeting. They also tried to involve Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar. Gandhi could be heard replying to some remark by Sharad Yadav, as she shouted back: "Do you think I am against Muslims and backwards? Don't try to become their saviours. We all have to find out ways to help them too." She left the house within five minutes to avoid any further arguments.

The Yadavs later turned their ire to Leader of Opposition Sushma Swaraj, who went to them and tried to tell them not to be so adamant. An angry Raghuvansh Prasad of RJD, a former minister, lost temper and accused her of becoming a “dalal” of the government. “You are not playing role of opposition,” he shouted at the BJP members.

Meanwhile, BJP veteran L.K. Advani was engaged in responding to a score of his party MPs approaching him to express their misgivings over the bill. He, however, left the house 10 minutes before the adjournment was to be over. BJP deputy leader Gopinath Munde, who was providing “physical cover” to Sushma Swaraj during talks with the hostile anti-bill MPs, later had a word with Pawar. Lalu Prasad also reached Pawar to suggest he better ask the PM to fix date for the all-party meeting to cool down tension in the house.

Trinamul Congress chief Mamata Banerjee remained glued to her seat, not wanting to get into any of the debating groups. She, however, ultimately got up and went to the anti-bill group engaged in heated debate with Sushma Swaraj, but quietly withdrew finding no use contributing to the discussion.