The Hindu : All eyes on Supreme Court, U.P. Governor briefs PM

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Mar 13, 2002

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All eyes on Supreme Court, U.P. Governor briefs PM
By Neena Vyas

The Prime Minister, A. B. Vajpayee, with the Uttar Pradesh Governor, Vishnu Kant Shastri, in New Delhi on Tuesday. -Photo: V. Sudershan

NEW DELHI, MARCH 12. The stage is set for the keenly-awaited order of the Supreme Court on permitting or disallowing `shila puja' by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and the Ramjanmabhoomi Nyas on the Government-acquired land around the disputed site in Ayodhya on March 15.

Ahead of the court order, which is expected tomorrow, the Uttar Pradesh Governor, Vishnu Kant Shastri, met the Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, for about 30 minutes today and briefed him on the security situation in and around Ayodhya. The Governor had separate meetings with the President, K.R. Narayanan, and the Union Home Minister, L.K. Advani, later.

While Mr. Vajpayee himself stated categorically in Parliament on Monday that the court's order would be fully implemented - this was conveyed to Mr. Shastri today - the Babri Masjid Movement Coordination Committee of Syed Shahbuddin today charged the Government with ``not discharging his constitutional obligation'' by not taking a clear stand on the unlawful demands of the VHP and the Nyas.

The point, also made by several Opposition parties, is that as the receiver of the acquired land, the Government itself could have said a firm ``no'' to the VHP's proposed `puja'.

The Government as receiver has a duty to maintain the status quo on the land till the final judicial verdict is implemented in the main Ayodhya case relating to the title deed of the site on which the Babri Masjid was demolished in 1992.

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