Ayodhya — Oppn guns for Advani

In Ayodhya, where the authorities had made elaborate security arrangements, 59 people, including some Shiv Sena activists, were taken into custody while trying to reach the disputed site. Elsewhere in Uttar Pradesh, nearly 800 workers of different political parties and religious organisations were arrested for violating prohibitory orders.

Earlier in the Lok Sabha, pandemonium broke out during zero hour, leading to three adjournments that failed topacify the members from almost all the Opposition parties, including the Congress, the Rashtriya Janata Dal, the Bahujan Samaj Party, the Samajwadi Party and the Left. They unanimously held that not only Advani but also two others, HRD Minister Murli Manohar Joshi and Tourism Minister Uma Bharti, stood accused in the matter and had no business to be in the Government. A few Shiv Oppn guns for Sena members sporting scarves with the message Jai Shri Ram further brought up the decibel level in the House. When asked, Speaker G M C Balayogi held that he had not permitted them to wear the scarves. Rajya Sabha also witnessed the tremors of the anniversary anger. A heated row erupted among the members when Shiv Sena’s Sanjay Nirupam said that Babar (the Mughal emperor) was an invader who had razed Ram temples to build mosques.

The slogan-shouting Congress brigade – at one point, Sonia Gandhi was seen trying to calm them down – was led by the party’s chief whip Priya Ranjan Das Munshi and senior member Santosh MohanDeb. But the tempo against the ruling benches was built by the smaller parties like the RJD, SP and the BSP when, in a flash, their members stormed to the well of the House and squatted in front of the Speaker’s chair.

Muslim League’s G M Banatwala triggered the Opposition’s salvo through his supplementary to the main question on Babri. He inquired what the Government was doing to re-erect the demolished structure at Ayodhya.

Advani’s brief intervention that the status quo was being maintained in view of the Supreme Court’s direction in the matter failed to pacify the Opposition. Participating in the din, Banatwala shouted that what more could be expected of the Minister who himself was involved in the demolition.

After three interruptions, the House was finally adjourned for the day at 4 pm.

Bharatiya Janata Party’s spokesperson Venkaiah Naidu castigated the Opposition for stalling the proceedings in the House. "The original question pertained to the status of the Babri Masjid-Ram Janambhoomi suit.Advani is not an accused in this case," he said. Another senior party leader questioned the Opposition’s timing in raising the issue. "Advani," he held, "has been the Home Minister for two years now. Why rake up the mud today? Obviously they want cheap publicity."

Congress spokesperson Ajit Jogi countered the charge by demanding that the Union Ministers chargesheeted in the demolition case had no moral right to continue in office. "But we leave the decision to their conscience," he added. Jogi insisted that the Congress wanted a speedy trial in the case and the Centre should take steps in this direction.