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Laloo demands Modi's arrest

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI May 2. The Rashtriya Janata Dal leader, Laloo Prasad Yadav, today launched a blistering attack on the ruling dispensation for the goings-on in Gujarat, accusing it of ``engineering'' the violence to divert the country's attention from its various acts of omission and commission.

Speaking for over an hour with two adjournments, Mr. Yadav spared none, whether it was the Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, the Union Home Minister, L.K. Advani, the Gujarat Chief Minister, Narendra Modi, the BJP, the Sangh Parivar or the partners of the National Democratic Alliance.

Making his maiden speech in the Rajya Sabha, Mr. Yadav turned out to be the star performer for the Opposition. Not only did he demand the removal of Mr. Modi but also sought stringent action, including his arrest, for ``actively promoting'' the destruction of life and property of the minority community. He called for an inquiry commission consisting of a sitting Supreme Court Judge to probe the continuing violence in Gujarat.

Expressing doubts whether the torching of the Sabarmati Express was itself engineered to pave the way for the ensuing mayhem, he said it must be investigated impartially.

Undeterred by repeated interruptions by the treasury benches, Mr. Yadav at one stage even threatened to sit in `dharna' in the well of the House if he was not allowed to have his say. He criticised the ``attempts'' by the NDA Government to ``cover up'' the misdeeds of the Modi Government.

The violence was a fallout of a conspiracy, he said and demanded the registration of a case of criminal conspiracy under Section 120 (B) of the IPC and arrest of Mr. Modi. ``We will cooperate, provided Mr. Modi is arrested first.''

Hindus and Muslims have lived in this country for ages without problems.

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