The Hindu : Get back our undertaking: Singhal

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jun 26, 2002

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Get back our undertaking: Singhal

By Our Special Correspondent

The Vishwa Hindu Parishad chief, Ashok Singhal, with the Sankaracharya of Kanchi, Jayendra Saraswati, in New Delhi on Tuesday. Photo: R.V. Moorthy

NEW DELHI June 25. The international president of the VHP, Ashok Singhal, today pleaded with the Kanchi Sankaracharya, Jayendra Saraswati, that he get back from the Government the undertaking given by the VHP in March — that it would abide by the judicial verdict on Ayodhya — as the Government had failed to keep its side of the bargain.

Talking to presspersons, the Acharya maintained that Mr. Singhal had made such a demand only in anguish and anger. He said that though his earlier mediation efforts did not fructify, talks through "various agencies" to resolve the Ayodhya dispute were still on and that he was hopeful of a solution.

He, however, declined to name the agencies involved in the talks.

When it was pointed out that Mr. Singhal had favoured an amendment to the Constitution to facilitate construction of the Ram temple, the Acharya said that it could be done by the Government even through an executive order.

Earlier, when presspersons asked Mr. Singhal as to why the VHP had hardened its stand, he said the VHP's undertaking was three-fold — it would accept the court verdict; the `shila daan' would be allowed and the Government should pass an order to hand over the `undisputed land' to the Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas Trust by June 2.

As nothing had happened so far and the Government had not kept up its promise, the VHP had requested the Acharya to get back the agreement.

Asked about the Haridwar resolution that the VHP would not accept the court verdict, he said the VHP had never said that it would not honour the court order. It was only an opinion expressed by the `sants' who attended the conclave.

He pointed out that puja was being performed in the makeshift temple based on the court order. It was the VHP's firm view that the construction of a Ram temple was based on Hindu faith in which courts should not interfere.

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