The Hindu : ASI report proves BJP's point: Advani

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Sep 11, 2003

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ASI report proves BJP's point: Advani

By Our Special Correspondent

BANGALORE SEPT. 10. The Deputy Prime Minister, L.K. Advani, today described the recent report of the Archaeological Survey of India, based on the excavations at the disputed site at Ayodhya, as significant, as according to him, it had proved the BJP's point that there existed a Ram temple there.

Though the party was never in doubt that a temple existed at the site, this had now been "scientifically proved" by the report.

"It was not a Government report, but one sought by a High Court," Mr. Advani pointed out and said that it would strengthen the party's position as far as the temple movement was concerned.

Mr. Advani, who was speaking at a meeting of the office-bearers of the party here, said the Congress was not only being led by a person of foreign origin, but was taking almost absurd stands on national and patriotic issues.

Citing examples such as that party's opposition to the unveiling of a portrait of Veer Savarkar in the Central Hall of Parliament, Mr. Advani said such instances explained the very nature of its leadership.

While referring to the recent killing of Gazi Baba by the security agencies in Kashmir, he said this was an important development as far as the fight against terrorism was concerned.

Dig at the U.S.

In this connection he had a dig at the U.S. India thought Washington would fight terrorism globally after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attack but the U.S. had not taken enough steps it was expected to take in the case of Pakistan.

A few important things had happened in the last one month in the country and they had been positive for the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). One of them was the no-confidence motion against the Government, which boomeranged, especially on the Congress.

The Opposition's purpose of dividing the NDA had not succeeded. On the contrary, it was a divided Opposition. It was a coherent and united NDA against a divided Opposition that had emerged, he said.

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