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Government comes under fresh attack
in RS

Hitting out at the government for its failure to maintain communal harmony in Gujarat following the Godhra incident, the opposition said the entire country was "disillusioned" with the government's inaction in curbing the violence.

Initiating the discussion on the Gujarat issue under Rule 170, which entails voting, Congress leader Arjun Singh said, "The entire nation is disillusioned with the government for not containing communal carnage."

"The country gave you [Bharatiya Janata Party] an opportunity to rule, but what did you do? There is a lot of difference between what they say and what they do," Singh said

Soon after the discussion began, Leader of the House Jaswant Singh announced the government's support to the censure motion and assured that the Centre would, under Article 355 of the Constitution, take more steps to protect the lives and property of the people in Gujarat.

The motion, drafted in consultation with all political parties, had expressed anguish at the persistence of violence in Gujarat.

It also urged the Central government to intervene effectively under Article 355 to protect the lives and properties of the citizens and provide effective relief and rehabilitation to victims of violence.

Terming the violence as "pre-planned", Communist Party of India-Marxist member Nilotpal Basu said swords and tridents were distributed in Gujarat by some Sangh Parivar outfits.

Congress member from Gujarat Ahmed Patel said that the Narendra Modi government was not taking necessary measures for relief and rehabilitation of the affected people and wrongdoers were not being arrested.

The TDP, which abstained from voting on the censure motion on Gujarat in the Lok Sabha, forcefully renewed its demand for the removal of Modi saying there had been no let up in the violence in the state.

It also said that the state government "has lost its moral authority to provide impartial governance".

TDP leader in the Rajya Sabha Alladi P Rajkumar said the BJP should not take for granted his party's support to the Vajpayee government.

Seeking to refute allegations of the state government's inaction against perpetrators of violence and apathy towards victims of rape, loot, arson, Law Minister Arun Jaitley said the police had arrested 37,545 people and taken action in all cases brought to its notice.

Disinvestment Minister Arun Shourie said firm steps had to be taken in Gujarat in the coming weeks but motive should not be added with every solution suggested in the House.

PTI

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