Date:11/07/2003 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2003/07/11/stories/2003071104781100.htm

National

RSS-BJP behind Kanchi Acharya's initiative: Yechury

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD July 10. The CPI (M) politburo member, Sitaram Yechury, today described the Kanchi Sankaracharya, Sri Jayendra Saraswati's initiative on Ayodhya as a "drama" enacted by the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh and the Bharatiya Janata Party to bring the issue to the centrestage and whip up communal passions to gain electorally.

Addressing a press conference here, Mr. Yechury said the seer acted like an RSS spokesman, reiterating its views and raising the issue of the Kashi and Mathura temples.

His party firmly believed that the Ayodhya tangle could be resolved only through a court verdict. Even a negotiated settlement had to be sanctified by the court, he said and added the party was against the government bringing in legislation to facilitate construction of a temple.

On the Congress president, Sonia Gandhi's statement on pre-poll alliances, he said it was good to see the Congress come to terms with the illusion that it could come to power on its own. He reiterated his party's stand of not forming any alliance with the Congress. But it would extend support to it in constituencies where the CPI(M) was not fighting the BJP. It would also consider extending support from outside, if required, after the elections to prevent the BJP and "communal groupings" from coming to power.

He disagreed that the reluctance on the part of the Left parties to support the Congress would help the BJP. "It has not happened in West Bengal and Kerala where we fought Congress''.