The Hindu : `Cong. running away from debate'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Feb 20, 2003

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National

`Cong. running away from debate'

By Our Special Correspondent

Chennai Feb. 19. The BJP national president, M. Venkaiah Naidu, today accused the Congress of "running away" from a debate in Parliament on the Ayodhya issue fearing an "adverse fallout" in Himachal Pradesh Assembly elections.

"The Congress unnecessarily raked up the Ayodhya issue in Parliament for short-term political gains, but it is now running away from a debate," Mr. Naidu told a media conference here. The Congress was not interested in finding any solution and was opposed to any initiative to end the Ayodhya tangle.

Asking the Congress president, Sonia Gandhi, to spell out her stand on the Ayodhya issue, he said the party was suffering from the disease of "confusion, contradiction and convulsions". When Narasimha Rao was the Prime Minister, he had declared that a masjid would be rebuilt at the Ayodhya site, but Ms. Gandhi now wanted the status quo to be maintained.

"The Congress cannot indulge in doublespeak and go scot free."

He said the NDA allies — the Telugu Desam and the Samata Party — had no differences with the Centre on its moving the Supreme Court to expedite the Ayodhya case.

Mr. Naidu denied charges that the BJP was trying to "recreate" the Ayodhya impasse by demanding the reopening of the disputed Bhojshala-Kamal Moula mosque premises at Dhar in Madhya Pradesh.

Disapproving of the attempts by Hindu Jagran Manch activists to force their way into the disputed premises at Dhar, Mr. Naidu, however, said the Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister, Digvijay Singh, was trying to "increase tension" there.

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