The Hindu : Ayodhya issue became vote bank politics: Centre

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, May 28, 2003

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National

Ayodhya issue became vote bank politics: Centre

By J. Venkatesan

NEW DELHI May 27. The Centre today asserted before the Liberhan Commission that Ayodhya became a public movement only after 1984 and thereafter it was used as vote bank politics.

Making this submission senior Counsel for the Centre, Lala Ram Gupta, assisted by Bhupender Yadav, however, said the BJP associated itself with the temple movement in Ayodhya only in 1989 when the party at its national executive meeting in Palampur decided to support the movement.

The Commission is hearing final arguments on the probe into the circumstances leading to the demolition of the disputed structure on December 6, 1992. Mr. Gupta said that by the middle of 1989, Ayodhya movement had reached a stage and status in Indian public life when it was no more possible to ignore its effect in politics including electoral politics.

He said in February 1989, the Dharam Sansad was held on the occasion of `kumbh mela' at Prayag and made a declaration that the foundation for the construction of the Ram temple would be laid in November 1989. It was also decided that `Ramshilas' would be brought from lakhs of villages.

This decision, he said was actively supported by the VHP and it was only after this the BJP leaders, including the Deputy Prime Minister, L.K. Advani and the Union Minister, Murli Manohar Joshi, got involved in this movement. To a question from the Commission, Counsel said that till 1984, it had not taken the shape of a mass movement.

It was only when the threat to break open the lock of the disputed structure was given in the same year, it started assuming the character of public movement and an application to open the locks on the disputed structure was filed by the Uttar Pradesh Government in the court in January 1986.

He further said that to counter the Ayodhya movement, which got the opening of locks at that time, the Babri Masjid Action Committee was formed.

When the Commission wanted to know whether the Ayodhya movement was religious or political, he said by that time it became a "multi-dimensional'' movement.

To a question from the Commission, Counsel submitted that no major events took place on the dispute between 1950 to 1975 and the VHP was not party to the litigation till then.

The Commission asked Counsel a series of questions about the formation and role of the VHP, Bajrang Dal, and the RSS in the temple movement and whether they were separate identities.

Mr. Gupta said though the VHP originated from the RSS, both were legally and constitutionally independent identities. Further arguments will continue on June 5.

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