The Hindu : PM's remarks unfortunate, says AIBMAC

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Aug 02, 2003

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PM's remarks unfortunate, says AIBMAC

Lucknow Aug 1. The All India Babri Masjid Action Committee (AIBMAC) has objected to the announcement of the Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, that a Ram temple will be built at Ayodhya to fulfil the dream of the late Paramhans Ramchandra Das.

Reacting to the statement of the Prime Minister and his deputy, L.K. Advani, at Ayodhya today, the AIBMAC convener, Zafaryab Jilani, said it was unfortunate that both the politicians had "acted as the leaders of the Sangh Parivar."

"If they can fulfil the dreams of the Paramhans by constructing the temple at Ayodhya, then what will happen to the dreams of million Muslims, who were waiting for the court's verdict on the issue," he asked.

Mr Jilani, also a member of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), charged Mr. Vajpayee and Mr. Advani with violating the coalition "dharma" by promising a BJP agenda even as he was the leader of the National Democratic Alliance.

"Now is the time for the NDA partners to seek clarification from these leaders on the Ayodhya issue when it is not in the agenda of the present Union Government," he said.

The announcements of the BJP leaders were aimed at "getting political mileage," he said and added that such things would only lead to communal tensions in the country.

A report from New Delhi said the Lok Janshakti Party leader, Ram Vilas Paswan, criticised the Prime Minister's remarks which only "exposed him as a mask" of the Sangh Parivar.

The speech of the Prime Minister, his deputy and others showed that the BJP-led coalition Government was obsessed with "divisive" issues for political gains, he said.

UNI, PTI

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