The Hindu : RSS wants review of verdict in Ayodhya issue

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Apr 20, 2003

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National

RSS wants review of verdict in Ayodhya issue

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI APRIL 19. The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh wants a "review on merit" of the March 30 judgment of the Supreme Court in the Ayodhya issue in which it had rejected the Central Government's plea for lifting the ban on all kinds of activities on what it had described as the "undisputed" acquired land in Ayodhya. However, it was not very sure who would, or who should, file the revision petition before the court.

It did hint that the Ramjanmabhoomi Nyas could file for review but admitted that as of now the Nyas was opposed to the idea of approaching the court as it did not admit the court had any jurisdiction on the Ayodhya issue.

The other issue on which the RSS was exercised was the refusal of bail to the Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader, Praveen Togadia, who was arrested in Ajmer and has been lodged in a jail there for the last several days. The RSS sarsangchalak K. S. Sudarshan, in a statement released here today described the Rajasthan Government ban on distribution and carrying of "trishuls" (tridents) as "patently illegal and unconstitutional". He also lamented the fact that the State Government had charged Mr. Togadia with sedition, and described this as "unethical and vengeful". (The State Government has since denied that it had slapped a sedition charge against Mr. Togadia.)

However, the RSS spokesperson, Ram Madhav, who released the statement, was evasive when asked whether the RSS would seek the Centre's intervention on this. All he would say was that so far senior RSS leaders had not spoken to the top leadership in the Government. He simply smiled when reminded that Mr. Togadia had virtually described the Prime Minister as an anti-national and one who had betrayed promises on the Ram temple.

Asked whether Mr. Togadia did not deserve to be arrested for having said in many places that a "civil war" would soon take place here and that "secularists should be given a death sentence", Mr. Madhav said the Governments of the States where he (Mr. Togadia) made those statements should have acted.

In his statement, Mr. Sudarshan attacked the Rajasthan Government and said while it had done nothing to stop the activities of militants and ISI agents it had chosen to punish "unswerving patriots" such as Mr. Togadia and had branded them as "deshdrohis (anti-nationals)". The State Government had created hurdles which had prevented bail from being given to Mr. Togadia, he alleged.

Mr. Togadia's arrest was a "political conspiracy", Mr. Madhav charged and said that if he was not given bail soon "Hindu samaj (society) would be compelled to start a people's movement in the State". Asked "which Hindu society" he was referring to, Mr. Madhav did not reply.

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