The Hindu : National : BJP objects to Arjun's "language"

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Tuesday, Aug 23, 2005

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National

BJP objects to Arjun's "language"

Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI: Uproarious scenes were witnessed in the Rajya Sabha on Monday, causing disruption for nearly 15 minutes as Bharatiya Janata Party members objected to a question hour reference to a textbook on Ramakrishna Paramhans.

The angry members accused Human Resource Development Minister Arjun Singh of not being sensitive to their sentiments while replying to their queries.

Trouble started when Ravi Shankar Prasad (BJP) sought to know from Mr. Singh whether some textbooks depicted Lord Ram and Lord Krishna as fictional characters and Paramhans as mentally deranged.

"The fact is that no such reference was made. So far as Ramakrishna Paramhans is concerned, unfortunately that kind of description was made in a textbook last year. It has since been removed," Mr. Singh said.

Arguing that the Minister did not use the correct language on a sensitive matter, some BJP members protested noisily.The ruling coalition benches denied the charges. Chairman Bhairon Singh Shekhawat assured the agitated members that if there was any unparliamentary word or expression used by the Minister, he would check and expunge it.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad asked S.S. Ahluwalia (BJP) and others to state their objection. The disruption ended when the Chairman reiterated that he would remove unparliamentary portions, if any.

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