NEW DELHI, Dec 5 — The Bharatiya Janata Party today criticised the Congress for stalling proceedings in Parliament for the second day over the Babri Masjid issue “at the cost of issues like the Kargil Committee Report and the recent train accident in Punjab”.

Addressing mediapersons, the BJP spokesman, Mr Vijay Kumar Malhotra, said the party was prepared for a discussion on the Babri Masjid issue but not under rule 184 as demanded by the Congress, which would require voting.

“The issue has been debated in Parliament at least a dozen times and there is no change of circumstances that warrants discussions,” Mr Malhotra explained.

The spokesman said the demand for resignation of the three charge-sheeted ministers — Mr L K Advani, Dr Murli Manohar Joshi and Ms Uma Bharati — was ‘out of place’.

“Even if they want to raise the issue, the best course for the Congress was to wait until framing of charges against these persons”, Mr Malhotra said.

The Ram Janambhoomi-Babri Masjid issue first figured during the Congress rule when Jawaharlal Nehru was Prime Minister and there was exchange of letters between him and the then Home Minister, Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel, he pointed out.

Installation of Ramlala, the idol, and the opening of doors of the disputed structure, had occurred during the Congress rule. It was former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi who had laid the ‘Shilanyas’, he said.

Mr Malhotra said the statement of senior Gandhian leader Nirmala Deshpande, published in a Delhi newspaper, absolving Mr Advani and others, was worth taking note of. He claimed, that “false cases” had been made against Mr Advani and other BJP leaders in disregard to the video clippings and press reports.

The real intention of the Congress by raising the issue disturb communal amity, he alleged.

On the morning’s parliamentary party meeting, Mr Malhotra said the MPs had sought better interaction on policy issues between ministers and MPs.