Opp still stuck on Ayodhya: Advani

Sheesh Ram Ravi (Bijnore) demanded an early construction of the Ram temple, enforcement of a uniform civil code and population control measures. Advani did not respond to his demands. The Deputy PM praised Vajpayee and Law Minister Arun Jaitley for effectively countering the opposition allegations. ‘‘They left them (Opposition) without an answer (niruttar kar diya),’’ he said.

Advani, pointing at five Bills at various stages, termed the electoral reforms undertaken by the Government ‘‘historic’’. He said the size of state ministries would be fixed at 10 per cent through an Act. Rules will be formulated to give effect to the Freedom of Information Bill.

Maheshwar Singh from Himachal Pradesh raised the issue of the monitoring and vigilance committees on Central schemes and said the state government had disbanded them. Rural Development Minister Kashi Ram Rana informed him that the Centre had told states that money will not be released to them if they did not constitute the committees immediately. Party spokesman V.K. Malhotra said later that Rana had told MPs that most states had fallen in line.