Thursday, December 23 2004 14:38 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Dismissing the Opposition charge that it was pressuring CBI to reopen Babri Masjid demolition case against BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) President L K Advani, Government today (Dec 23, 2004) categorically told the Lok Sabha that seeking information about the legal position about any case was its "legitimate right".

Responding to the suggestion by former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee that the Prime Minister's office should not have written any letter to Personnel Secretary with regard to the case, Leader of the House Pranab Mukherjee said that the Government was not in any way interfering with the functioning of the investigating agency CBI.

The letter, Mukherjee said, was written by the Prime Minster's Office (PMO) to ascertain the legal position on two revision petitions filed by witnesses in the case and "this is the legitimate right of the Government".

Observing that it would be wrong to impute political motives on the correspondence, Mukherjee said no direction had been given by PMO to CBI in the case.

Dissatisfied with the contention of Mukherjee, members of BJP and its allies walked out of the House. They, however, returned after a few minutes.

The House was earlier adjourned for ten minutes after the Question Hour amidst pandemonium with BJP members trying to raise the issue of alleged interference in the working of CBI and ruling UPA members countering by referring to the latest expose made by Tehelka with regard to reported payment of money to a key witness in the Best Bakery case.

The House had plunged into turmoil immediately after it had assembled this morning with NDA (National Democratic Alliance) members alleging that PMO was interfering with work of investigating agencies and Congress and RJD (Rashtriya Janata Dal) members waving copies of a news report that the key witness in the Best Bakery case was allegedly bribed by a BJP MLA.

BJP and NDA members were on their feet waving copies of a letter purportedly written by a close aide of the Prime Minister allegedly seeking revival of prosecution of Advani in the demolition case.