rediff.com: Parliament adjourned for the day

For the seventh consecutive day Tuesday, both houses of Parliament remained paralysed over the Ayodhya issue with an unrelenting Opposition demanding Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's resignation for his controversial remarks on the canstruction of a Ram temple.

There was no end in sight of the week-long impasse as members from Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party and others stormed the well of the Lok Sanha raising slogans " pradhan mantri isteefa do " (prime minister resign).

As soon as the House was called to order, SP and BSP members sought to outrun each other in their dash towards the Speaker's podium.

Unlike in the past week, Congress and Left party members were on their feet but chose not to move into the well. They were seen being directed by their leaders, who had emerged from a meeting with Speaker G M C Balayogi, not to proceed to the well.

As the uproar continued, Deputy Speaker P M Sayeed adjourned the House for the day. His repeated plea to the members to resume their seats went unheeded.

Slogan shouting continued even after the House was adjourned with BJP members chanting " Desh bachao House chalao " (Save the country, run the House).

Counter slogans were raised by SP and BSP members saying " Kanoon virodhi ye sarkar, nahi chalegi " (Law breaking government will not be allowed to run).

Human Resource Development Minister Murli Manohar Joshi and Sports Minister Uma Bharti, whose resignation has been sought by the Opposition along with Home Minister L K Advani, for being chargesheeted in the Babri masjid demolition case, were present in the House.

Leader of the Opposition Sonia Gandhi, former prime minister Chandrashekhar, CPI-M leader Somnath Chatterjee, SP leader Mulayam Singh Yadav and others witnessed the bedlam in the near-packed House.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pramod Mahajan was seen persuading both ruling NDA and opposition members to move out of the House as the two sides continued to raise slogans after the adjournment.

The impasse also rocked the Rajya Sabha leading to its adjournment minutes after it assembled.

Chairman Kishan Kant's effort to get the Question Hour going proved futile as the determined opposition led by Congress members refused to allow discussion on anything other than the Ayodhya issue.

Congress member Suresh Pachouri said it was unfortunate that no decision had been taken on discussion on the Ayodhya issue till now and it should be taken up immediately.


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