Godhra train fire probe fuels uproar in House

The Opposition today stalled proceedings in both Houses of Parliament protesting against the government's decision to order of a fresh probe into the Godhra carnage.

Railway Minister Lalu Prasad had, in his reply to the debate on the Railway Budget yesterday, said the Godhra incident needed a second look.

Presiding officers of both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha adjourned their respective House for the day after the slogan-shouting Opposition members stormed the well and demanded clarification from Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

As soon as the Lok Sabha convened in the morning, VK Malhotra (BJP) started protesting against the ordering of a "politically motivated probe into the Godhra incident".

Speaker Somnath Chatterjee asked Malhotra to sit down saying he had not asked for the permission to raise the issue, but he would get an opportunity to speak after the lunch recess.

But both Opposition and Treasury benches continued to trade charges over the issue and Chatterjee adjourned the House for 45 minutes.

"I want the television cameras on so that people can see all this," said an angry Chatterjee to members who were rushing to the well of the House.

After the House reconvened, the situation remained the same with Opposition members shouting slogans like "Lalu hatao desh bachao (remove Lalu to save the country).

To this, the treasury benches replied with "Modi hatao desh bachao" (remove Modi to save the country) referring to Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi. This led to another adjournment ill 3 pm. At 3 pm too matters remained the same, finally Chatterjee adjourned the House for the day.

In the Rajya Sabha, BJP members trooped into the well shouting slogans "PM jawab do" (PM should answer) and "Lalu danda nahin chalega" (Lalu's strong arm tactics will not be tolerated).

As the din continued, Chairman Bhairon Singh She-khawat said he could allow BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi to speak but his efforts to restore normalcy went unheeded.

Outside of Parliament, on being asked why he did not send a written reply to allegations that he had a callous and apathetic attitude to the Godhra incident, Nitish Kumar said: "I want to speak in the House and give a fitting reply to the insinuations being made about me."

"The railway investigation into the Godhra incident was restricted to railway property, the rest of the investigation was in the hands of the state police. As for my not going to Godhra, well I did not see Lalu Prasad in Ayodhya after the Babri Masjid was demolished," he said.

The BJP termed it a "deep-seated conspiracy" to cater to the Muslim vote bank and to destabilise Gujarat. According to Joshi, there was no legal sanction for a fresh probe.

"When the matter is before the Supreme Court, how can this be allowed?" he said. "This is clearly a move aimed at the Muslim vote bank on the eve of Maharashtra and Bihar Assembly polls," he added.