Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee's coalition lost a censure motion in the upper house of parliament Tuesday over plans to build a temple on the ruins of a mosque razed in 1992 by Hindu zealots.
The government lost the vote by 121 to 86, with two members abstaining.
While embarrassing, the result carries no great threat for the government which had defeated a similar motion in the more important lower house last week.
Before Tueday's vote, Vajpayee had appealed to the opposition not to politicise the temple-mosque issue.
"Let Ayodhya not divide us," he said, referring to the northern town where the 16th century Babri mosque was destroyed by Hindu fundamentalists eight years ago.
The opposition motion had called for the dismissal of three cabinet ministers charged with inciting crowds to pull down the mosque -- NEW DELHI (AFP)
© 2000 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
