Rao survives

(First Edition)

NEW DELHI - The Congress government of Narasimha Rao survived a no-confidence vote in the Indian parliament yesterday after left-wing parties rallied to defeat the motion brought by the right-wing Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), writes Tim McGirk.

Atal Vajpayee, a BJP leader, moved the motion following Hindu-Muslim clashes that left 1,200 people dead. In backing the government, several politicians criticised Mr Rao's failure to protect the Ayodhya mosque, demolition of which sparked the violence, but said secular parties must unite to stop Hindu fundamentalists gaining power.