LS adjourned for the day over Babri issue

New Delhi, Dec 6 (UNI) The Babri Masjid demolition issue rocked the Lok Sabha today on the occasion of the 15th anniversary of the incident, leading to noisy scenes disrupting normal business of the House and forcing its early adjournment.

With the Samajwadi Party (SP) members rushing to the well of the House demanding action against those responsible for the "shameful" incident on December 6, 1992, the BJP-Shiv Sena members were on their feet supporting construction of a Ram temple at the disputed site in Ayodya in Uttar Pradesh.

There were shouts and counter shouts with the members from the Rashtriya Janata Dal, Congress and the Left rising from their seats in protest against the demand of the BJP-Shiv Sena members.

The Chair adjourned the House twice during the Question and Zero hours, as he could not go ahead with the business slated for the day.

When the House re-assembled after the second adjournment, the situation was no different with almost all the members from both the Opposition and Treasury benches on their feet.

Deputy Speaker Charnjit Singh Atwal rushed through the different stages of the Armed Forces Tribunal Bill, introduced by Defence Minister A K Antony, and got it passed, amid pandemonium.

The Bill seeks to provide for the adjudication or trial by Armed Forces Tribunal of disputes and complaints with respect to commission, appointments, enrolment and conditions of service in respect of persons subject to the Army Act, 1950, the Navy Act, 1957, and the Airforce Act, 1950. The Bill also provides for appeals arising out of orders, findings, or sentences of court-martial held under the said acts. The Bill has already been passed by the Rajya Sabha.

After the passage of the Bill, Senior Shiv Sena member Anant Geethe said the Shiv Sainiks were beaten up by ''goondas'' when they were holding a demonstration at Jantar Mantar in the city today demanding construction of a Ram temple in Ayodhya.

His observations plunged the House into disorder, forcing the Chair to adjourn the House for the day, four hours ahead of the schedule.

In the morning as soon as the House assembled, the SP members were on their feet raising the Babri demolition issue and accusing the Government of non-action against the guilty.

Instead of listening to the Speaker's repeated calls for restoration of order, the SP members trooped into the well of the House and began chanting slogans.

The Speaker adjourned the House till 1200 hrs initially and again till 1400 hours as the SP members repeated their earlier action.

On both the occasions, the House drowned in the din as BJP members countered the SP members with same ferocity and pitch of anti-slogan shouting. The BJP members were up on their feet at their respective seats.

The Left and Congress members also got up on their seats accusing the BJP of being guilty of unsavoury happenings at Ayodhya on December 6, 1992.

Earlier, SP leader Ramji Lal Suman alleged that the Government adopted delaying tactics instead of penalising the guilty for the demolition and had extended the term of Liberhan Commission, looking into the Ayodhya developments, 42 times.

UNI