BJP stalls Parliament proceedings

The Bharatiya Janata Party stalled the proceedings during the Zero Hour in the Lok Sabha today on the issue of purportedly objectionable references to Hindu deities in a book authored by a person associated with the Immanuel Mission at Kota in Rajasthan.

A day after the BJP stalled the proceedings in both Houses of Parliament in the wake of the terrorist attacks in Varanasi, the party was apparently geared up today to keep the heat on ahead of the planned rath yatra by the party leadership.

Meanwhile, the CPI(M) termed the planned rath yatra by BJP leaders as an "ominous development". In the latest issue, party mouthpiece People's Democracy said in its editorial that instead of uniting with the rest of the country in the wake of the terrorist attack, the BJP was seeing in it as an opportunity to regain its waning political support.

The BJP also moved several amendments to the Finance Bill in the Lok Sabha, including raising the income tax exemption limit for senior citizens to Rs 250,000 and hiking PF interest rates to 9.5 per cent.

They also asked for the removal of Fringe Benefit Tax and a roll back of the 2 per cent hike in service tax.

During the Zero Hour, Kota MP Srichand Kriplani waved a copy of the book in the House, claiming that the author had denigrated Hindu deities. As some MPs protested against the attempt to target a particular community, Kriplani's colleagues rose up in his support and in the ensuing din, the Speaker adjourned the House.

CPI(M) MP Mohammed Salim later told reporters that the BJP was apparently in a mood to vitiate the communal atmosphere. "It is a BJP government in Rajasthan and the state government can ban the book if it wants. Why should the BJP raise it in Parliament? Their intention is clear," he said.

"(Lal Krishna) Advani's earlier infamous rath yatra left behind a trail of bloodshed and mayhem...The political gains they made, as a consequence, have whetted their appetite to once again replicate the same," said the CPI(M).

Referring to Advani's statement that the policy of minority appeasement led to such terrorist attacks, the CPI(M) said that it was the "most outrageous of charges" against the Left parties.

"Specifically, he (Advani) has cited the anti-Bush protests organised by the Left parties as an expression of appeasing the minorities....Opposition to US imperialism, disengaged from the world-wide reaction to protect human dignity and liberty, is seen by the communal forces as a protest that must have an ulterior electoral motive," said the editorial.

The BJP today also moved several amendments to the Finance Bill in the Lok Sabha, including raising the income tax exemption limit for senior citizens to Rs 2.5 lakhs and hiking provident fund interest rates to 9.5 per cent. They also asked for the removal of Fringe Benefit Tax and a roll back of the 2 per cent hike in service tax.

"The exemption limit for senior citizens should be raised from Rs 185,000 to Rs 200,000 as the aged face severe difficulties because of limited income and low interest rates," BJP Parliamentary Party Spokesman VK Malhotra said.

He added that the exemptions currently being offered did not add up to more than 12 per cent of the income, while during the NDA regime, the exemption totalled 20 per cent.

Tne party had also moved amendments for raising the exemption limit for women from Rs 1.35 lakh to Rs 200,000 to help them gain up to Rs 5,000, he said. At present, the gain is just Rs 3,500.

Restoration of the standard deduction of Rs 50,000 for government employees was another amendment moved by the BJP. The party said the government had not done anything to provide relief to senior citizens, women, and the salaried class.

"Personal tax rates should have been brought down. If the economy is doing as well as the government claims, the benefit should be passed on to the common man," said Malhotra.