The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Friday, March 15, 2002, Chandigarh, India

THE TRIBUNE SPECIALS

50 YEARS OF INDEPENDENCE

TERCENTENARY CELEBRATIONS

M A I N N E W S

Government draws flak in House on puja
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, March 14
The government today came in for severe criticism from the Congress for pleading before the Supreme Court to grant permission for a “symbolic puja” in Ayodhya, observing that the move had only aggravated tension in the country.

Participating in the debate on the motion of thanks to the President for his address to the joint session of

Parliament, Mr Pranab Mukherjee wondered what prompted the government to favour the “symbolic puja” in the current atmosphere. “Is this move going to defuse the situation or escalate tension?”, he asked.

Opposing the motion of thanks, Mr Mukherjee, however, stated that this did not mean that he was showing any disrespect to the President. He said the President had obviously read out the address prepared by the government.

Mr Mukherjee said the recent communal riots in Gujarat had tarnished the nation’s image at a time when “we had successfully isolated Pakistan” globally on the issue of terrorism.

Reddy stands by remark on PM
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, March 14
The Congress chief spokesman Jaipal Reddy today said he stood by the expression used by him in response to speech of Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee on the Ayodhya issue in the Lok Sabha but it was for presiding officer to take a view.

The expression led to angry protests by the treasury benches forcing an adjournment of the House.