The Hindu : CPI sees bid to widen communal agenda

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Jun 21, 2003

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CPI sees bid to widen communal agenda

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI JUNE 20. The Communist Party of India today described the Sangh Parivar move to bring the Kashi and Mathura religious places on a par with the Ayodhya dispute as a "crude attempt to widen the communal agenda and resurrect'' the divisive issue on top of the political agenda.

The party said in a statement that people were fed up with these communal-divisive issues and were concerned with their socio-economic problems. "Communal-divisive disputes are being revived to divert people's attention from their real socio-economic problems''.

The law on maintenance of status quo of religious and historical places exempts only the Ayodhya dispute, as it was under the judicial consideration at the time of enactment of this law. Raising the dispute on Kashi and Mathura shrines is violation of this law, the CPI said.

The strident posture of the VHP and other Sangh Parivar outfits, it said, would vitiate the communal atmosphere in the country and charged that these "communal organisations were raising'' these issues just to disrupt the growing unity of the masses on socio-economic issues.

The CPI said it was of the firm opinion that the "farce of holding talks'' among community leaders was also aimed at resurrecting this issue and would further generate bitter controversies and debates.

"The BJP is supporting this move as it will accelerate communal polarisation and help it in the elections," the CPI said, adding that the only course left on the Ayodhya dispute was to expedite the court verdict on the main issue of title deed and get all the forces concerned to commit to abide by the court verdict.

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