NEW DELHI, July 23: Congress members today took strong objection to the reference in Home Minister Indrajit Gupta's statement in the Lok Sabha about allegations of Maharashtra Congress leader Chhagan Bhujbal's association with a leader of gangsters.

Later Congress and Muslim League members staged a walkout in protest against Gupta's statement on the police firing in Mumbai alleging that the Centre was attempting to shield the Shiv Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party government in Maharashtra.

Leading the Congress walkout, party leader Sharad Pawar regretted that the Centre had relied on the assurance of an ``extra constitutional authority'' that such incidents including the desecration of the statue of Dr B R Ambedkar and attack on the house of the leader of the Opposition in the State Legislative Council, Chhagan Bhujbal, would not recur.

He also took exception to the absence of details of incidents elsewhere in Maharashtra following the July 11 police firing in Mumbai. Muslim League members G M Banatwala and E Ahmed also wondered how the Centre was taking the assurance of Shiv Sena leader, Bal Thackeray, seriously. They were also critical of the home minister for meeting Thackeray.

Gupta said that there was nothing wrong in meeting Thackeray who heads one of the ruling parties in Maharashtra.

He said during the meeting with him, the Sena chief expressed concern about any possible Central action. ``Everything depended (in this regard) about how you and your government works in future. On that the Centre will make up its mind what to do or what not to do,'' the Home Minister told Thackeray.

The Shiv Sena and BJP members also protested strongly when some Congress members made some remarks about the Sena chief.

The Home Minister who had visited Mumbai following the recent incidents said that it appeared that the police fired indiscriminately and did not follow the procedure given in the police manual before resorting to firing.

Stating that the police neither used other methods like teargas or water canons, he said that the State government also could not explain as to on whose orders the firing was resorted to. Gupta said that during his visit to Mumbai, he saw all-round condemnation over the attack on Bhujbal's house.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.