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I will quit rather than come under compulsion: PM
New Delhi, Aug 04: Under attack from opposition, Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee today told the Lok Sabha he would `quit` rather come under any `compulsion` on Ayodhya issue and assured the House that there was no change in the government`s stand.
New Delhi, Aug 04: Under attack from opposition, Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee today told the Lok Sabha he would "quit" rather come under any "compulsion" on Ayodhya issue and assured the House that there was no change in the government`s stand.
"There is no compulsion. The day I feel I am under compulsion, I will quit `rajpaat` (government) and go," Vajpayee said while rejecting Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav`s charge that he was under "compulsion" to make such statements on Ayodhya.
Replying to an impromptu debate on the notice of adjournment motion given by opposition members, the Prime Minister said there was no change in the government`s stand on the issue and what he said at Ayodhya was nothing "objectionable."
"There has been no change in my stand. I only said that the last wish of Paramhansji will be fulfilled," Vajpayee said, emphasing, "I never said where Ram Temple can be constructed." "I have stated hundreds of times what I said at Ayodhya while paying homage to Paramhansji," the Prime Minister said, maintaining that there were two ways to resolve the dispute-- either through a negotiated settlement or a court verdict acceptable to all.
Vajpayee regretted that a controversy had arisen out of his tributes to Paramhansji and said, "People express their feelings and this should not be objected to.”
Accusing the Prime Minister of using solemn occasion of the funeral of Paramhansji to gain political mileage, opposition leaders including Priyaranjan Dasmunsi (Congress), Somnath Chatterjee (CPI-M), Mulayam Singh Yadav (Samajwadi Party) and Ram Vilas Paswan (Lok Janshakti) demanded that he express regret for making such a statement.
Countering the opposition criticism, the Prime Minister shot back asking whether anyone had gone through his entire speech made at Ayodhya on Friday and asserted that he did not say who would construct the temple and where it would come up.
Maintaining that a decision on the temple issue should be on the basis of a consensus among the concerned sections, Vajpayee said, "This has been my stand all through and I have said it hundreds of times."
"I never said it would be done forcibly," the Prime Minister said.
In the spirit of brotherhood "we should resolve the issue or wait for the court verdict," the Prime Minister said. Bureau Report
Replying to an impromptu debate on the notice of adjournment motion given by opposition members, the Prime Minister said there was no change in the government`s stand on the issue and what he said at Ayodhya was nothing "objectionable."
"There has been no change in my stand. I only said that the last wish of Paramhansji will be fulfilled," Vajpayee said, emphasing, "I never said where Ram Temple can be constructed." "I have stated hundreds of times what I said at Ayodhya while paying homage to Paramhansji," the Prime Minister said, maintaining that there were two ways to resolve the dispute-- either through a negotiated settlement or a court verdict acceptable to all.
Vajpayee regretted that a controversy had arisen out of his tributes to Paramhansji and said, "People express their feelings and this should not be objected to.”
Accusing the Prime Minister of using solemn occasion of the funeral of Paramhansji to gain political mileage, opposition leaders including Priyaranjan Dasmunsi (Congress), Somnath Chatterjee (CPI-M), Mulayam Singh Yadav (Samajwadi Party) and Ram Vilas Paswan (Lok Janshakti) demanded that he express regret for making such a statement.
Countering the opposition criticism, the Prime Minister shot back asking whether anyone had gone through his entire speech made at Ayodhya on Friday and asserted that he did not say who would construct the temple and where it would come up.
Maintaining that a decision on the temple issue should be on the basis of a consensus among the concerned sections, Vajpayee said, "This has been my stand all through and I have said it hundreds of times."
"I never said it would be done forcibly," the Prime Minister said.
In the spirit of brotherhood "we should resolve the issue or wait for the court verdict," the Prime Minister said. Bureau Report