NEW DELHI: Samajwadi Party on Thursday forced Opposition bloc to take up the Ayodhya temple donation theft issue in Lok Sabha, even as Congress remained insistent on cornering Home Minister Amit Shah over the police crackdown on protesters.As a compromise, Opposition decided to take up both the issues simultaneously, evident in the loud protests both inside and outside Parliament.The competitive push has raised serious questions about the fate of Monsoon session, which has largely been washed out over the Jantar Mantar protests and the subsequent police action on students.Well-placed sources said the anti-BJP bloc will not concede unless their demands are heeded. A senior Congress manager told TOI that a washout of the remaining ten days of Parliament session seems a strong possibility.Sources said Samajwadi Party along with allies has decided to push for an “adjournment motion” to discuss Ayodhya temple theft, as against a short-duration discussion.The implications of accepting the “adjournment motion” are grave, given that it conveys a censure of govt, besides the possibility of House adopting a resolution on the subject at the conclusion of the debate.Ruling BJP is unlikely to yield to Opposition on Ayodhya scam, or on the demand regarding the home minister.“It is a matter of ten days now. The govt may just play it out instead of courting embarrassment,” a senior Congress functionary said.
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In the meeting of the allies on Thursday, sources said, SP leaders strongly demanded that Opposition take up the temple theft issue in the House. Congress managers argued that “chanda chori” was important, but the issue of Amit Shah could not be left midway. So, Opposition decided to take up both issues this week.Ahead of the proceedings on Thursday, Opposition mounted a loud protest over the twin issues. Members, including Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, KC Venugopal, Dharmendra Yadav, Mahua Moitra, Thol Thirumavalavan, NK Premachandran, Sanjay Raut and Mahua Maji, held a large banner with the question, “Who gave the order?” – a reference to the person who authorised the firing of pellet guns on protesting students. In front of the MPs were placed donation boxes (daan paatra), with members putting money in them – an allusion to the temple theft.The scene was repeated inside the lower house where SP members raised slogans of “chanda chor, gaddi chhor”, joined in by others, with Congress and allies also raising the heat on the police crackdown and demanding that Shah come to House.
