The Hindu : Opposition blasts `puja' move

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Mar 10, 2002

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Opposition blasts `puja' move
By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, MARCH. 9. All the main Opposition parties, the Congress, the CPI(M) and the CPI, today deplored the Government's decision to permit `puja' at Ayodhya near the disputed site and the lifting of restrictions on kar sevaks. ``The status quo cannot be tampered with and even a symbolic ceremony should not be held without the court's permission,'' the Congress spokesman, S. Jaipal Reddy, said.

The party said that nothing should be done to disturb the status quo, and the proposed puja on the land acquired by the Government would be ``illegal and impermissible''. Court permission for the ceremony would have to come before March 15 or else it should not be gone through.

The CPI and the CPI(M) also condemned the Government's move to allow a symbolic `bhoomi puja' on undisputed land and warned that it would have ``serious and adverse repercussions on national unity''.

The CPI(M) politburo said the Centre had surrendered to the VHP by agreeing to allow the puja and transfer the acquired land for temple construction. ``This is a clear violation of the Supreme Court verdict to maintain the status quo and the assurance given in the President's Address.''

The announcement by the Minister of State for Home, I.D. Swami, that the restrictions on the movement of kar sevaks would be eased ``exposes the role of the Central Government as a facilitator of subversion of the rule of law''.

``To term the function as `symbolic' is to throw dust in the people's eyes since the presence of tens of thousands of kar sevaks cannot be kept `symbolic''', the party said. Referring to the assurance given by the VHP/Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas, the party said it could not be trusted as the assurances in 1992 were broken without batting an eyelid.

Syed Shahabuddin, president of the All-India Muslim Majlis-e-Mushawarat (AIMMM) and the Babri Masjid Movement Coordination Committee, deplored the ``fraternisation'' between Mr. Swami on his official visit to Ayodhya with the leaders of the groups which were challenging the authority of State and threatening to violate the status quo order of the Supreme Court.

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