Pandemonium rocks Indian parliament

NEW DELHI, July 5 (UPI) -- India's opposition parties Monday disrupted parliament, demanding the firing of three ministers who face corruption and criminal charges.

Both houses of the Indian parliament were adjourned for the day after the legislature of the world's largest democracy opened for a two-month budget session.

The opposition parties are demanding three ministers of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's coalition government be dismissed. The three "tainted" ministers are aligned with Rashtriya Janata Dal, a key ally of the Congress Party that swept to power in May with a fractured mandate.

Both houses were to meet Tuesday when one of the controversial ministers, Laloo Prasad Yadav, is to present the Railway Budget proposals.

Yadav stepped down as Bihar's chief minister in 1997 when he was arrested on corruption charges involving the purchase of millions of dollars worth of non-existent fodder.

According to weekly Outlook magazine, at least 100 of 543 Indian lawmakers face criminal charges.