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All-party meet flops, Parliament adjourned

The all-party meeting, called by the National Democratic Alliance Government, flopped on Monday morning, as the Opposition demanded a discussion on the Ayodhya issue, while the Bharatiya Janata Party and its allies insisted that there could be no discussion since the matter was sub judice.

Samajwadi Party members were not in favour of a discussion but insisted Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee resign after he stated that a Ram mandir should be constructed at the disputed site.

The meeting began at 0010 hours at Lok Sabha Speaker G M C Balayogi's chamber but failed to arrive at a consensus for 50 minutes.

The meeting was called to discuss the smooth running of Parliament's winter session, as there were crucial bills to be passed.

Both Houses was also adjourned for the day on Monday as the Opposition was adamant on a discussion on the temple issue.

Last week too, Parliament was adjourned repeatedly.

Balyogi Monday rejected an Opposition motion to discuss the demand for the resignation of three charge-sheeted Union ministers over the Ayodhya issue under Rule 184, emphasising that the matter was sub judice.

"According to the ministry of home affairs, the matter is pending before the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court, in a revision petition filed against an order dated September 9, 1997 of a special judge in Lucknow. The ministry stated that the matter is sub-judice," the Speaker observed.

He pointed out that according to provisions of Rule 186, relating to admissibility of notices of motions, "a notice under Rule 184, to be admissible, has to be restricted to a matter of recent occurrence and shall not relate to any matter under adjudication by a court of law having jurisdiction in any part of India."

The Speaker's rejection five minutes before Lok Sabha convened for business at 1100 hours caused agitated Opposition members to storm into the House, where they rushed into the well, shouting slogans that they would continue to disrupt proceedings.

Congress chief whip Priyaranjan Dasmunshi told rediff.com, "Our demand for the resignation of the three ministers has been rejected and we will now voice our feelings in the House."

Samajwadi Party member Akhilesh Singh shouted that his party wanted Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's resignation for his controversial statement pertaining to the temple in Ayodhya and that until it was done, SP members would not allow the House to function.

Balyogi contended that as Speaker, he was duty-bound to follow and enforce rules that had been given to him by the House. At the same time, it was also his duty to ensure that the House transacted business in an orderly manner.

The Speaker read out his three-page observation even as the furore by Opposition members continued. After he finished, he again requested Opposition members to return to their seats. When they ignored him, he adjourned the House for the day.

The Rajya Sabha was also adjourned for the day on the same issue.

However, the lack of unity among Opposition parties on the Ayodhya issue was glaring.

While the Congress and BSP appeared hell-bent on having the issue discussed under Rule 184, other Opposition parties seemed helpless.

Rashtriya Janata Dal House leader Raghuvansh Prasad Singh blamed the Congress for the lack of unity.

"The Congress is the main Opposition party. It should have at least attempted some co-ordination. It went ahead with its demand , leaving some of us confused," Singh pointed out.

The Samajwadi Party took a different line, with Akhilesh Singh insisting that it would be satisfied if the prime minister resigned for his recent statement on the temple.

An apparently disgusted Communist Party of India-Marxist Lok Sabha leader Somnath Chatterjee later said that the Opposition would attempt a united fight on the Ayodhya issue and take the Vajpayee government to task.

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