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It would not have been a violation: PM
By Neena Vyas

NEW DELHI, MARCH 13. The Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, today made it very clear that ``the Attorney-General, Soli Sorabjee, had presented the Government's views in the Supreme Court'' in the matter of allowing a ``symbolic puja'' on the acquired land in Ayodhya.

Although he made no statement in Parliament, speaking briefly to a few correspondents in the corridors of Parliament House, Mr. Vajpayee confirmed that the Government view was ``the status quo at the acquired land would not have been disturbed by a symbolic puja.''

On whether he was happy with the court's orders, he replied: ``isme khush ya nakhush hone ki baat nahin hai, na main khush hoon, na nakhush'' (it is not a question of being happy or unhappy, I am neither happy nor unhappy). ``There are two views on whether a `puja' would have violated the status quo, our view was that there would have been no violation, and that was the view presented by the Attorney- General.''

The Government had always maintained that it would not allow the status quo to be violated and the court's verdict would be honoured and implemented, Mr. Vajpayee said. There was no change in that stand.

Asked whether the BJP's allies in the NDA were dissatisfied with the Government's views, Mr. Vajpayee said the allies were under the impression that the Government had gone to court on the issue. ``We explained to them that Sorabjee gave the Government's views only when specifically asked by the court and they are satisfied.''

He did admit that the allies were not consulted on the Government's views on the issue (that it did not think the status quo would be violated if a `puja' was permitted on the acquired land), but indicated that he did not think it was necessary to do that.

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