National   

Madrassas: BJP, SP lock horns

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI DEC. 12. Though the paucity of time forced the discussion on internal security to spill over on to next Tuesday, the hour-long debate on the subject in the Lok Sabha today saw the BJP and the Samajwadi Party spar over the former's demand for registration of madrassas (Muslim seminaries) with the Opposition benches demanding information on the source of funding for the ``shishu mandirs'' run by the Sangh Parivar.

With members keen on speaking on the issue at length, it was unanimously decided that the discussion on internal security under Rule 193 would be carried forward to Tuesday as the matter could be taken up for discussion only at 5 p.m.

Prabodh Panda of the CPI, who initiated the discussion, said the battle against terrorism cannot be won by just going after the Jaish-e-Mohammad and the Lashkar-e-Taiba. "What about the terror regime of Hindutva organisations,'' he asked adding that not much could be expected from a Government where the Home Minister himself was chargesheeted in a criminal case.

Apart from a feeble murmur from the ruling benches, this criticism of the Deputy Prime Minister, L. K. Advani, and uncharitable references to the Sangh Parivar went unopposed. However, Samajwadi Party members objected to the demand of Swami Chinmayananda (BJP) for the registration of madrassas which had "mushroomed" along the Indo-Nepal border.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

National

News: Front Page | National | Southern States | Other States | International | Opinion | Business | Sport | Miscellaneous |
Advts: Classifieds | Employment | Obituary |

Stories in this Section

• LS passes Bill to check criminalisation of politics
• Gujarat polls by and large peaceful: EC
• Madrassas: BJP, SP lock horns
• Cong. exudes confidence
• BJP unhappy with turnout
• HC stays telefilm on `Parliament attack'
• LS to discuss disinvestment next week
• Protocol problem
• Drought relief for farmers
• Indo-Russian missile to go into trials in two months
• More dams to meet drinking water requirements favoured
• Gulf-bound Bangladeshis take perilous route
• Kalam condoles Palkhivala's death
• I've nothing to say: Lyngdoh

Copyright © 2002, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu