The Hindu : Centre nervous over Ayodhya issue: RSS

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Saturday, Mar 16, 2002

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Centre nervous over Ayodhya issue: RSS

By Our Special Correspondent

BANGALORE, MARCH 15. The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) on Friday gave vent to its disenchantment with the BJP-led Government at the Centre alleging that there was "hesitation and nervousness" on the Government's part in handling the Ramjanmabhoomi issue. It accused the non-BJP parties of attempting to derive political advantage by placing hurdles in the way of temple construction.

The RSS general secretary, Mohan Rao Bhagavat, made the remarks while presenting the Sangh's annual report (2001-02) on the opening day of the three-day Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha of the Sangh being held at Chennenahalli, near here.

The RSS chief (sarsanghachalak), K.S. Sudarshan, inaugurated the conference, which is being attended by about 1,000 delegates from throughout the country.

For the first time, the inaugural session was open to journalists and photographers for a few minutes.

Referring to the Ram temple issue and the burning alive of `Ram sevaks' at Godhra, Mr. Bhagavat described it as an act of terrorism.

"While we take note of the zeal of the saints and `Ram sevaks' for the construction of the temple, the hesitation and nervousness of the `Ram bhaktas' sitting in the treasury benches were also visible.''

The number of those willing to build a temple at Ramjanmabhoomi had increased, while there were those who were bent on creating hurdles in the way of temple construction.

"They are the ones who have gathered some electoral mileage after the recent elections and want to earn further political advantage by creating such hurdles.''

Lakhs of `Ram sevaks' were waiting to go to Ayodhya with fervour. But anti-Hindu forces were engaged in an intrigue to crush the fervour through terrorist violence such as the Godhra incident. The fast growing and countrywide Hindu awakening would bring popular support to the effort to bring about a peaceful solution to the Ramjanmabhoomi issue and would expose to the world "all the filth and deceit'' and see the anti-Hindutva elements meeting their doom.

Praises NDA Govt.

The report praised the NDA Government on the diplomatic front. The administration took a stern view of the September 11 attacks in the U.S. and the December 13 attack on the Parliament House and turned international opinion in India's favour and compelled Pakistan to stand in the defence box, it said.

The Government had taken a firm stand at the Doha meet of the WTO in the genuine economic interests of the country and the Third World.

However, small-scale industries, farmers, labourers, and artisans were not doing well owing to the wrong economic policies of the Government adopted under the pressure of foreign debt.The report condemned the excesses perpetrated on the Hindus in Bangladesh in the wake of the elections held there. It was the duty of the Government to compel Bangladesh to rehabilitate the displaced persons.

Flays SC order

PTI reports:

Speaking to reporters, the RSS spokesperson, M.G. Vaidya, criticised the Supreme Court order on the `shila puja' in Ayodhya and said it appeared to have passed the verdict in haste. The order did not enhance the Court's prestige.

Mr. Vaidya said the RSS wanted the Muslims to respect the Hindu sentiments on the Ayodhya issue.

He appealed to the Centre to take into consideration the spirit of the 1994 judgment and hand over the undisputed land to the VHP. A special judge should be appointed in the Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court to hear the case on a day-to-day basis so that the final verdict is delivered in one-and-a-half years.

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