The Hindu : CPI (M) for LS debate on Ayodhya issue

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Feb 19, 2003

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National

CPI (M) for LS debate on Ayodhya issue

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI FEB.18. The Communist Party of India (Marxist) today asserted it was determined to discuss the Ayodhya issue in the Lok Sabha under a rule that entails voting and termed the Government's move to approach the Supreme Court as `diabolical'.

Reacting to the reference on the issue in the President's address to the joint session of Parliament, the party said till date the Government had not explained why it chose to approach the Supreme Court when the 1994 judgment states that status quo should be maintained till the final adjudication of the dispute.

The CPI(M) parliamentary party leader, Somnath Chatterjee, said at a news conference that the Vajpayee Government was pandering to the "communal attitude of the VHP which was an open challenge to the secular traditions of the country''.

He said by moving an application before the apex court, the Government was trying to disturb the status quo just before the VHP Dharam Sansad and elections in four States this month.

"The Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, stands totally unmasked. He has surrendered to Advani, Togadia and company,'' the CPI(M) leader said.

Turning to the NDA allies, Mr. Chatterjee said these parties lacked both credibility and morality except supporting the BJP-led Government ``without any principles''.

Even though the CPI(M) does not support POTA, Mr. Chatterjee said if there was a case where it should be applied it was against the VHP leader, Praveen Togadia.

In this context, Mr. Chatterjee registered a strong protest against the observation by the new NHRC chief, Justice A.S. Anand that there were enough safeguards in POTA.

The CPI(M) leader said Justice Anand had occupied a high post and should observe restraint.

Exercised over the war clouds hovering over Iraq, the CPI(M) was sharply critical of the Vajpayee Government's response.

He said in the President's address the Government viewed it as "unhappy situation''.

"The Government had gone into slumber and capitulated before an imperialist force'', Mr. Chatterjee said, adding that the strongest word the government found to describe the situation was `unhappy'.

As a measure of the Government's attitude, the party's Rajya Sabha member, Nilotpal Basu, said the Government had `backtracked' after indicating that it was willing for an unanimous resolution by both Houses of Parliament.

He said as per the understanding reached on Monday, the Government was to have sent a draft resolution to opposition parties this morning.

The move was shelved today.

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