The Hindu : 'Our programme as scheduled'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Mar 14, 2002

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'Our programme as scheduled'
By Anjali Mody

The Ramjanmabhoomi Nyas president, Ramchandra Das Paramhans (right), and the international working president of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Ashok Singhal, at a press conference in Ayodhya on Wednesday. - Reuters

AYODHYA, MARCH 13. As security was further tightened here today, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad-controlled Ramjanmabhoomi Nyas insisted that the Supreme Court verdict had gone in its favour. Ashok Singhal, working president of the VHP and secretary, RJN said, ``I want to make clear that the Supreme Court's verdict has not gone against us.''

Ignoring the developments in New Delhi, he said the verdict only referred to two plots of land (including the site of the demolished Babri Masjid) and not to the remaining 67 or so acres of the acquired land. Speaking to journalists, at the VHP's workshop in Ayodhya, he said there was nothing in the court's verdict to suggest that a ``puja'' could not be conducted on the remaining land.

Asked why he was talking of a ``puja,'' rather than a ``shila daan'' (offering of a carved stone) - as he had done on Tuesday - Mr. Singhal said the two were the same. He claimed to have got an assurance, on March 12, from the Faizabad Commissioner, A. K. Gupta, that a three-hour ``puja'' could be held on the land ``500 ft from the disputed site.''

However, Mr. Gupta denied having given any assurance on conducting a ``puja.'' There was no change in the instructions he had received as far as the acquired land was concerned.

``No religious act, whether it is a `puja' or a `shila daan,' can be performed on any part of the land... it is the Government's job to interpret the court's verdict, we follow instructions. The instructions to date cover the entire acquired land.''

Mr. Singhal said if the VHP was not permitted to perform the `puja' on the acquired land, the meeting of its `sant mandal,' to be held in Ayodhya tomorrow, would decide on the course of action for March 15. The RJN chairman, Ramchandra Paramhans, who also heads the `mandal,' was characteristically contrary in his position.

After hearing the Supreme Court verdict earlier today, he said he had ``no programme for March 15'' besides going on his own ``where everyone goes for darshan'' to make an offering of a carved stone.

If he was stopped by the administration, he would stop. He had no intention of getting into a tussle with the administration which was not to blame for the situation.

But, at the press conference (which followed a private meeting between Mr. Singhal and Paramhans) the `mahant' was all fire and brimstone asserting that his programme for March 15 of performing a ``puja'' on the acquired land would go ahead, notwithstanding the consequences.

Security here is tighter than on any previous day. Reinforcements of the CRPF and the Home Guard have been brought in to cover the area around the `karsevakpuram.' Riot police have also been posted outside a mosque near one of the entry points to the disputed site. And entry into the temple town is strictly monitored with Section 144 in place.

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