New Delhi, February 25
Even as the government today gave an assurance that it will not interfere in the Babri Masjid demolition case, there were strong protests from the Opposition in both Houses of Parliament, seeking the resignation of Deputy Prime
Minister L.K. Advani and his Cabinet colleague Murli Manohar Joshi.
Dissatisfied with the government’s response on the issue, Opposition members, led by the Congress, staged a walkout in both Houses during zero hour.
In the Lok Sabha, Opposition members staged a walkout immediately after Law and Justice Minister Arun Jaitley told the House that the government had never interfered in the case and would not do so in the future.
Congress leader Priya Ranjan Dasmunshi said the continuation of Mr Advani and Dr Joshi could come in the way of a fair trial in the case as they could interfere in the case.
“They must step down for a fair and transparent trial... How do you expect the CBI, which is functioning under the Prime Minister, to be free and fair”?, Mr Dasmunshi asked.
“Their (Mr Advani and Dr Joshi’s) continuance in office cannot be justified”, the Congress chief whip said.
“We want immediate response from the government”, he said.
Receiving vociferous support from members of Left parties, the RJD and the Samajwadi Party, Mr Dasmunshi charged the government with “serious manipulation” and expressed fears that the Prime Minister’s Office may be “misused” in favour of the government.
He said even four months after the Supreme Court directive that the CBI could file a petition in Lucknow nothing had happened and the CBI went to Lucknow only when a review petition was filed in the Supreme Court.
As soon as the Law Minister stood up to respond to the charges of the Opposition, Mr Dasmunshi shot back by saying: “It is a question of political morality and not a legal question”.
