BJP, SP clash over VHP's Ayodhya yatra in Parliament

Vishwa Hindu Parishad's controversial Ayodhya yatra rocked Parliament on Monday with both Houses being disrupted repeatedly due to clashes between Samajwadi Party and Bharatiya Janata Party as demands were made for dismissal of the Uttar Pradesh government.

Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh launched a scathing attack on BJP, saying it was resorting to hooliganism by disregarding the Constitution and court orders.

Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha witnessed three adjournments each on the issue in the pre-lunch session.

Raising the issue in the Lok Sabha, Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav alleged that BJP is resorting to hooliganism and had attacked the party's office in Delhi following crackdown by the UP government on VHP's yatra.

"We know how to stop hooliganism. We have stopped it in the past," he said, accusing BJP of engineering riots.

Charging BJP with violating court orders and disregarding the Constitution, Yadav said they are resorting to anti-national activities.

"Since they have no support left they are looking for excuses. There is no vote bank left with them so they want riots. They should stop vote bank politics. People are not supporting them. Saints have also condemned them," he said.

This was strongly countered by BJP's Yogi Adityanath who insisted that the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad high court has declared the disputed place as the birthplace of Lord Ram and the saints have been demanding a law for the purpose.

Adityanath accused the SP government of "humiliating the saints and insulting the Hindus" and demanded it should be immediately dismissed.

He claimed that SP rule has seen as many as 30 riots, in which the Hindus have suffered. He said the UP government was allotting land in the name of cemeteries.

Janata Dal-United chief Sharad Yadav's questioned as to who had given VHP the monopoly to represent Hindus, who have one lakh castes.

This led to immediate protests by BJP members, who were up on their feet.

In the Rajya Sabha, uproar over Ayodhya yatra stalled the pre-lunch sitting with SP and BJP members clashing.

Soon after the House met for the day, SP members shouted slogans alleging an attack by BJP workers on their Delhi office, a charge strongly refuted by the main opposition party.

The issue forced two adjournments before Zero Hour as Chairman Hamid Ansari's repeated efforts to restore normalcy in the House did not yield any result.

When the House resumed at noon, BJP members came in aisle shouting slogans.

Deputy Chairman P J Kurien, who was in the Chair, criticised this saying leaders of parties had decided that they will not raise slogans in the House. Kurien also said the slogans will not go on record.

"It (slogan) won't go on record. It is indiscipline," Kurien said.

Members from BJP also shouted slogans but they did not come in the aisle. While Leader of the Opposition Arun Jaitley remained seated, other BJP members were on their feet.

During Question Hour, two Congress members from Seemandhra region kept shouting in the Well holding placards demanding united Andhra Pradesh.

They later went back to their seats but kept protesting waving placards from there.

Image: SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav and BJP MP Yogi Adityanath