SP, BJP-Sena clash over Ayodhya

BJP and Sena members were on their feet, chanting ‘‘Jai Shri Ram’’. Later, Basudeb Acharya of the CPI(M) said former UP CM Kalyan Singh had deposed that the conspiracy to demolish the mosque in Ayodhya was hatched at the residence of L.K. Advani. He said the former chief minister had changed his stand now.

Chatterjee then called another SP member to speak. BJP members trooped into the Well to seek an apology from the SP. As the Speaker asked Malhotra to speak, his party colleagues returned to their seats. Several members from the other side also wanted to speak. An agitated Raghunath Jha of the RJD walked up to the Well to press for an opportunity to put forth his view, provoking the Speaker to remark: ‘‘You are the most unruly member. I will name you.’’

The Speaker pleaded with the members to let everyone articulate his view. When Jha and party colleague Ram Kripal Yadav continued to speak, Chatterjee called upon the Parliamentary Affairs Minister to rein them in. ‘‘Otherwise, they will be in trouble,’’ he said.

Malhotra recalled how idols had appeared at the disputed structure in 1949 and Muslims had been barred from coming within 200 metres. Chandrakant Khaire asked: ‘‘If a Ram temple would not be built at Ayodhya, would it be built in Pakistan?’’ Mohan Singh of the SP added: ‘‘It is a black day in the history of India.’’ Then he led the entire SP contingent out of the House.