Tuesday, April 26 2005 17:25 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Railway Minister Laloo Prasad today (Apr 26, 2005) stood by his allegation of involvement of Sangh Parivar activists in the attack on him in Gujarat and demanded dismissal of the Narendra Modi Government.

"RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh), Bajrang Dal and VHP (Vishwa Hindu Parishad) were behind the murderous attack on me," Laloo told Rajya Sabha after the Opposition NDA (National Democratic Alliance) staged a walkout protesting Government's attitude towards the Opposition.

"Slogan-shouting Bajrang Dal and VHP activists attacked me from all sides. Ice bags were hurled on me from the hospital building. One of them scraped passed me. The rear window of my car was damaged," he said.

Rejecting the demand for his resignation in the wake of Sabarmati Express mishap, Laloo gave statistics of rail accidents during the previous NDA regime and asked why did the then Railway Minister not resign.

"Thousands of people were killed in riots (in Gujarat). Why (Atal Bihari) Vajpayee did not remove Modi or take his resignation... and they are now teaching me lessons in morality," he said.

On the Opposition demand for his resignation following framing of charges against him in a fodder scam case, Laloo quoted Vajpayee's statement of December 7, 1999 when he had defended continuation of L K Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi and Uma Bharti as Ministers after chargesheets were filed against them in the Babri Masjid demolition case.

Vajpayee had then said filing of chargesheets was not enough ground for removing them as Ministers, Laloo said.

He alleged that the State Government had failed to provide security to him during his visit to Vadodra.

Besides, an affidavit by a senior police official on the role of Modi during the riots had exposed the State Government, Laloo said adding "Gujarat is a fit case for imposition of President's rule in the State."