Heated exchanges in LS during the Liberhan report debate

NDA allies were on Tuesday engaged in a heated exchange with other parties in the Lok Sabha over the Ayodhya issue after a Shiv Sena member said there was nothing shameful about the demolition of a "mud structure" and his party was proud of it.

NDA allies were on Tuesday engaged in a heated exchange with other parties in the Lok Sabha over the Ayodhya issue after a Shiv Sena member said there was nothing shameful about the demolition of a "mud structure" and his party was proud of it.

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Participating in the resumed discussion on the Liberhan Commission report, Ananth Geete asserted that after the demolition of the disputed structure at Ayodhya his party supremo Bal Thackeray was the only leader who said if Shiv Sainiks were involved in the act, he was proud of it.

This led UPA and other members to shout "shame, shame".

Hitting back, Geete said, "What shame? Kis baat ke liye shame (shame for what)? There is nothing wrong in demolishing a structure built by Babar, an outsider who invaded India."

The Shiv Sena leader further argued that the whole country was "crying over demolition of a mud structure", leading several members from the minority community to object. He corrected himself only to say it was a "stone structure".

He accused Muslim members of the House, cutting across party lines, of protesting the mention by BJP President Rajnath Singh in his speech on Monday of Deoband cleric Ali Mian's alleged stand on the disputed structure.

"But they are secular while we are communal. What message are we giving from this House?" Geete asked.