Cong walkout to protest Minister's comments on Banerjee report

Gandhinagar, Mar 6 (UNI) The entire Congress opposition in the Gujarat Assembly today staged a walkout when Minister of State for Home Amit Shah today sought to state the Gujarat government's opinion on the Justice Banerjee Commission's report on the fire in the Sabarmati Express train on February 27, 2002.

This was in response to the issue raised by BJP legislator Pradeepsinh Jadeja and Neemaben Acharya of Congress, seeking government's clarification on Justice Banerjee's news conference even before the Commission placed its report in the Lok Sabha.

When the Leader of the Opposition, Arjun Modhvadia raised a point of order, objecting to discussing an issue during zero hour which is a Central issue, speaker Mangalbhai Patel asked the Minister if he agreed or not.

As the Minister rose to make his statement, asserting the Godhra train carnage was indeed a conspiracy and not accident, the entire Opposition stood up and shouted anti-government slogans in the well of the house before staging a walkout. They termed the minister's action a ''wrong precedent.'' More UNI VKC/MMG SSS VD BS1742