DELHI (PTI): The Ayodhya issue erupted in the Lok Sabha Wednesday with the Janata Dal and the left panties locked in a fierce verbal el with the Bhartiya Janata Party members stalling the question hour for the first 15 minutes.

Ram Vilas Paswan was on his feet as soon as the house assembled and demanded a statement from the Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao who was present in the house on what he called the demolition work by the BJP Government at Ayodhya. An ansry Madan Lal Dhurana (BJP) challenged the Home Minister S.B. Chavan to dismiss the Kalyan Singh Government in Uttar Pradesh

Paswan contended that the BP Government in Lucknow was being dictated to by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad which was committed to the demolition of the “Mosque in Ayodhya.

“The Prime Minister should not be silent on the issue. He should make a statement said Basudeb Achariya (CPM) who was repeatedly asked by the speaker to take his seat.

The Prime Minister remained unmoved. The speaker Shivraj Patil observed that it was not necessary for Rao to make a statement The JD and left parties subsequently relented as the speaker told them that the Ayodhya issue could be raised after question hour.

Meanwhile the upper house of Indian parliament witnessed uproarious scenes for the second day on Tuesday with Congress and some opposition members demanding dismissal of the state government of Northern Indian Utar Pradesh State for demolishing five temple structures in Ayodhya.

“Meanwhile the civil aviation and Tourism Minister Madhav Rao Scindia during an intervention into the debate sad his ministry would not be a party to the demolition of temples or Mosques in the name of development of tourism.

The question hour was suspended earlier as the house voted in favor of a motion moved by Congress (I) member Suresh Kalmadi though most Congress (I) members were not in favor of such a move.

Despite the leader of the House and Home Minister S.B. Chavan advocating that the notice suspend it by the question hour need not to taken up.

Article extracted from this publication >> April 3, 1992