Babri issue rocks Parliament

Our Political Bureau

New Delhi, Dec 6: Both the Houses of Parliament were adjourned on Thursday without transacting any business on Thursday as agitated members pressed for admitting their adjournment motions on the Ayodhya issue. Thursday being the ninth anniversary of the Babri demolition, as soon as the Houses assembled, Opposition members were on their feet charging the government with failure to bring to book the accused in the demolition case and prevent VHP and Bajrang Dal activists from vitiating communal harmony.

In the Lok Sabha, pandemonium prevailed as Opposition members belonging to the Congress, CPM, CPI, SP and BSP kept up the pressure for permitting their motion to be tabled and BJP and Shiv Sena members countering them by raising slogans. With the repeated pleas of the Chair to restore order falling on deaf ears, the House was adjourned for the day.

In the Rajya Sabha, as soon as the House met, the entire Opposition demanded a discussion on the demolition of the disputed structure at Ayodhya. Congress member Suresh Pachauri urged Chairman Krishan Kant that the House give precedence to discussion on Ayodhya. SP’s Mohd Azam Khan carried placards reading “sharm diwas” (a day of shame) and said some persons were waiting to construct a temple at Ayodhya despite promulgation of prohibitory orders. Sensing the mood, the Chairman adjourned the House for the day barely after five minutes of the assembly.