Joshi blames Rao for Ayodhya stalemate

By J. Venkatesan

NEW DELHI, JUNE 12. The Union Minister for Human Resource Development, Dr. Murli Manohar Joshi, today blamed the former Prime Minister, Mr. P.V. Narasimha Rao, for the stalemate in the Ayodhya dispute.

Continuing his deposition before the Justice Liberhan Commission, Dr. Joshi maintained that it was because of Mr. Rao's indifference that the dispute could not be solved though a solution was in sight before the demolition of the disputed structure in December 1992.

He said that if only M. Rao had followed the path of negotiation mooted by the former Prime Minister, Mr. Chandra Shekhar, in inviting the parties for a discussion on whether a temple existed or not at the disputed structure before the masjid was superimposed, the dispute could have been amicably resolved.

Dr. Joshi alleged that Mr. Rao was totally indifferent to the issue and that he did not take any initiative till the sants and sadhus announced a `kar seva' in July 1992. Thereafter, he said ``Mr. A.B. Vajpayee, Mr. L.K. Advani and myself requested Mr. Rao to call the sants for talks and he agreed to call them for talks.''

To a question from the Commission's counsel about the BJP's White Paper, wherein it was stated that what the courts could not do for 42 years the kar sevaks would do, Dr. Joshi said ``we do not approve of the stand of the VHP and we are for implementing the court orders.''

It was true that the BJP supported the movement led by the sadhus and sants following a resolution passed by it in

1989 but, at the same time, it wanted to expose the ``competitive pseudo-secularism and anti-BJP policy'' adopted by Congress and other political parties.

He had a dig at the Congress and other political parties for

maligning the BJP as a communal party though it had been trying to get the issue resolved through negotiation and legislation. However, he did not elaborate on the nature of the legislation. ``Today we are part of the NDA Government and we go by what the NDA resolved,'' he said.

He will continue his deposition on July 17 and 18. Tomorrow the Union Home Minister, Mr. L.K. Advani, will depose before the Commission.

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