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``BJP's mosque offer, a bid to terrorise Muslims''

By Our Staff Correspondent

JAIPUR JUNE 1. The Jamat-e-Islami Hind today termed the recent offer of the BJP to Muslims allowing construction of a mosque adjacent to the proposed Ram temple in Ayodhya and its subsequent retraction as yet another instance of the "aggressive designs" of the Sangh Parivar aimed at terrorising Muslims.

"The BJP's sole agenda is to cling to power by polarising the society on communal lines. Frightening Muslims by sending confusing signals fits into its strategy," Maulana Abdul Aziz, vice-president of the Jamat-e-Islami Hind, told presspersons here. He said the Muslim community had already declared that the court verdict — irrespective of the outcome — on the Ayodhya dispute would be acceptable to it.

The Maulana, who was here to participate in a function marking Prophet Mohammed's birthday celebrations, said that raising controversies about the Ayodhya dispute was a recurring feature of the Sangh Parivar's campaign. "The latest in the series are the claims about finding evidence of existence of a temple in the excavation near the disputed site.''

The excavation had been undertaken on the orders of the Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court, and even after the digging, the court would be the final arbiter in the dispute under the law of the land. "In this situation, how is it justified to make repeated claims, issue threats, hoodwink public opinion and intimidate the judiciary," he asked.

The Maulana said that despite the track record of violence and coercion of BJP and its affiliates — as was witnessed in its ugliest form in Gujarat last year — the democratic institutions would be saved by right-thinking people in all communities. Asked about the stand of the Jamat-e-Islami in the Assembly elections to be held in four States later this year, he said Muslims should pay attention to qualities such as secular outlook and character of candidates in each constituency rather than extending support to a single political party.

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