The issue of Ram Setu rocked RajyaSabha today with BJP asking the government to withdraw itsaffidavit given in court on plans to dismantle it, leading toacrimonious exchanges and consequent adjournment of the House.
The House witnessed uproarious scenes on the issue, withBJP and the government trading charges, accusing each other ofplaying politics and not having faith in God, as DMK andAIADMK members joined in.
As BJP and the treasury benches traded charges againsteach other, E M S Natchiappan, who was in the Chair, adjournedthe House till 2 PM amid acrimonious scenes.
Raising the issue during Zero Hour, Prakash Javadekar(BJP) asked the government to withdraw its affidavit given incourt on its decision to dismantle the structure and said theywill not allow this to happen.
He also asked the government to agree to recommendationsof the Pachauri expert committee's suggestion for a differentalignment without dismantling the Ram Setu structure, to whichthe government is not agreeing.
BJP members stood up after Minister of State forParliamentary Affairs Rajiv Shukla accused the party ofplaying politics on the issue for votes and later trooped intothe Well raising slogans for taking back the affidavit givenby the Centre.
"Affidavit wapas lo, wapas lo," (Take back the affidavit),they chanted even as AIADMK and DMK also raised slogansleading to the adjournment of the House.
Javadekar accused government of not being concerned aboutpublic and religious sentiments as also of preserving ancientheritage and demanded withdrawal of the affidavit.
He warned that an agitation would be launched if thegovernment did not do so.
Ravi Shankar Prasad (BJP) joined him saying India cannotexist without Ram and Ram Setu and the issue was not just ofIndia's heritage but also of public sentiment and demanded aresponse from the government.
Venkaiah Naidu (BJP) said the state government's responseshould be taken on the issue and charged the government of nothaving faith in God or Lord Ram and demanded an assurance fromthe government in the House.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Rajiv Shukla insteadaccused the BJP of playing politics on the issue for votes andalleged use of "bullying tactics" by it in seeking governmentresponse on the issue.
"You cannot force me to speak on the issue...The matter issub-judice and it would not be proper for the government tomake any comment on the floor of the House," Shukla said,leading to uproar and acrimonious exchanges between thetreasury benches and the opposition.
While Tiruchi Siva (DMK) supported the government on theissue, V Maitreyan (AIADMK) demanded that the state's viewsshould be heard first before deciding on the issue and saidthe report of the expert committed should have been acceptedby the government.