National

Excavation will bring out truth, says Venkaiah Naidu

By Our Staff Reporter

COIMBATORE March 13. The excavation work at Ayodhya is a right step towards unearthing the truth whether a temple had existed at the disputed site, the BJP president, M. Venkaiah Naidu, said here today. Speaking to presspersons, he, however, clarified that the excavation had nothing to do with the Lok Sabha elections next year. "It has been ordered by the court and I do not know why some parties object to it."

He alleged that the Congress, which had earlier demanded that the case in the court be expedited, was now against the court's directive. "This only suggested that the Congress does not want the Ayodhya issue to be settled. It wants to derive political mileage out of it," he charged. "The BJP is very clear that the issue should be solved either through talks or the court's verdict."

Mr. Naidu attributed the BJP's poll debacle in Himachal Pradesh to "lack of clarity and unity" in the party. Admitting that infighting had resulted in the loss, he, however, asserted that the result would not stop the BJP's "forward march".

He claimed that there was a "feel good factor" ahead of the next Lok Sabha polls and the party was focussed on its aim to secure 300 seats for itself and a two-thirds majority for the National Democratic Alliance. The party was not pressing for advancing the elections "using the people-friendly general and Railway budgets".

Later, addressing party cadres in the city, he said the party was firm on introducing a law against religious conversion, as it led to tension among the people. However, it was unfortunate that the Congress opposed it in Tamil Nadu but introduced similar laws in Madhya Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh and Orissa.

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