Hindu, Muslim leaders meet on Ayodhya

By Our Special Correspondent

LUCKNOW, JAN. 13. The much-publicised meeting called by the Bharatiya Janata Party MP and Bajrang Dal leader, Mr. Vinay Katiyar, to solve the Ayodhya dispute today took off without Mr. Mohammed Hashim Ansari, first petitioner in the Babri Masjid case. However, a group of Muslims, including some Imams of local mosques in Faizabad district, turned up at the State Guest House here, venue of the talks.

Later, Mr. Katiyar told presspersons that today's talks were preliminary and the two sides expressed their determination to find a solution to the problem at the local level. The next round of talks would be held in the first week of March, he added.

Those who took part in the talks included Haji Sagir Ahmed Siddiqui, Imam of Bhagwamir mosque, Syed Tauheed Asharafi Asharaf, Imam of Pure Kamgar, Mr. Mohammed Meer, Pradhan of Hainsi village, and some other village-level Muslim leaders little known in the context of the Babri Masjid dispute.

Mr. Katiyar, however, did not give much importance to the fact that known minority leaders were absent from his talks. The leaders from Lucknow and Delhi had a little role to play as the dispute affected mostly the people of Ayodhya and Faizabad. Mr. Katiyar's version was supported by those who had come from Faizabad and some present at the press conference.

Asked if they were ready to forgo the mosque, Haji Sagir Ahmed said he wanted both the temple and the mosque. Mr. Katiyar said many Muslims had not even seen the disputed site. He pleaded that those who wanted to have a look at the place should be allowed to do so.

He said Muslim leaders playing politics on the temple issue had tried to sabotage the talks but more than 100 Muslims had attended the meeting.

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