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Wednesday, Mar 12, 2008
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National

Furore over CD issue

Special Correspondent

“Footage may hurt religious sentiments”

LUCKNOW: Members of the Samajwadi Party and the Bharatiya Janata Party walked out of the Uttar Pradesh Vidhan Sabha on Tuesday in protest against the distribution of a CD reportedly containing footage liable to hurt religious sentiments.

The House also witnessed a verbal duel between the SP and ruling party members. The CD was aired by a news channel on Monday.

Presenting the State government’s version, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Lalji Verma said the distribution of the controversial CD, produced by Bhim Rao Ambedkar Samaj Sudhar Samiti, had been banned.

He said three persons were arrested and sent to jail. The police raided the premises of the organisation and seized six CDs.

Mr. Verma rejected the Opposition charge of official patronage to the making and distribution of the CD. The Minister said neither the government nor the ruling party or its MP (Lalmani Prasad) was associated with the CD.

The issue figured during Zero Hour. Leader of the Opposition Mulayam Singh warned the government that if the distribution of the CD was not stopped it would lead to a civil war.

He said it contained derogatory references to Rama, Krishna, Sita, the Mahabharata and the Ramayana. Mr. Singh sought Speaker Sukhdev Rajbhar’s intervention and demanded action against those who produced the CD.

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