The Hindu : Parliament should solve Ayodhya dispute: VHP

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Mar 17, 2002

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Parliament should solve Ayodhya dispute: VHP

AYODHYA, MARCH 16. After claiming successful conduct of the ``shila daan'' ceremony yesterday, the VHP and leaders associated with the Ram temple movement today asserted it was the ``responsibility of Parliament'' to find a solution to the vexed issue as the same could not be resolved through the courts. ``Parliament is the supreme body in the country. Why is it shying away from its responsibility to resolve the Ram temple issue,'' the VHP national joint secretary, Rajendra Singh Pankaj, told PTI here.

Senior leaders of the VHP today held a closed-door meeting at the Karsevakpuram here to discuss the ``post shila daan'' scenario and to chalk out the future course of action.

The meeting was attended among others by the VHP international president, Ashok Singhal, and vice-president, Giriraj Kishore.

Mr. Pankaj said the VHP had always been of the view that the Ram temple issue could not be resolved through the court as it was a ``matter of faith and belief for the Hindus.'' He said all the political parties should ``consider the issue seriously leaving aside their political ideologies with an open mind. ``Yesterday's shila daan has proved that the Ram Janmabhoomi is the biggest issue in the country.''

BJP MP and Bajrang Dal leader, Vinay Katiyar, who has been closely associated with the Ram temple movement, also favoured an out of court settlement of the issue. Political parties should try to find an amicable solution to the problem, he said. ``Courts should not involve themselves with religious issues.''

On being asked whether the VHP still stood by its assurance given to the Government through the Kanchi Sankaracharya that it would abide by the apex court verdict, Mr. Pankaj said he could comment on this only after speaking to the Sankaracharya.

``Though our assurance given to the Government on this issue has lost its relevance after rejection of the Sankaracharya's formula by the All-India Muslim Personal Law Board, we can comment only after speaking to him,'' he said.

When asked whether the VHP was prepared to negotiate the vexed issue with the Muslims, he said ``our door for settlement of the issue through negotiations are always open. The VHP was ready to speak to any Muslim organisation which is party in the dispute.''

Mr. Pankaj, however, alleged that the ``Muslims have been shying away from resolving the matter through dialogue.'' Referring to the apex court orders for maintaining status quo in the acquired land in Ayodhya, Mr. Katiyar said the Supreme Court should not have ``kept away from the cases where emotive and religious issues were involved.''

- PTI

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