The Hindu : Legislate or face agitation, says VHP

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Sep 16, 2003

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National

Legislate or face agitation, says VHP

By Neena Vyas

NEW DELHI SEPT. 15. The Vishwa Hindu Parishad today issued an ultimatum to the Government, asking it to legislate to resolve the Ayodhya issue by October 15 or face an agitation involving lakhs of `Ram bhakts'.

Timing its announcement nicely — just ahead of the Assembly polls due later this year — a resolution adopted by the VHP at the end of a day-long meeting of its Ucch Adhikar Samiti here today demanded that the Government call a special session of Parliament and pass a legislation by October 15 to hand over the `Ram Janmabhoomi', the disputed land in Ayodhya, to the Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas controlled by it.

"Failing this", Mahant Avaidyanath, chairman of the Samiti, announced, "there will be a massive demonstration by `Ram bhakts' in Delhi and Lucknow simultaneously on October 15 and then the `Ram bhakts' will reach Ayodhya on October 17 from all over the country."

"On December 6 (19992) the Hindu `samaj' (society) had demonstrated its strength (by bringing down the Babri Masjid) and now we are ready to show our strength once again," he warned. However, later he said that although the old (Babri) structure was brought down in a day, the work of temple construction would take at least five years. In fact, he said that no date had yet been fixed for beginning the temple construction at Ayodhya, but the VHP wanted to demonstrate the will of the Hindu `samaj'.

The Mahant also made it clear that after the Ayodhya issue was resolved, attention would turn to Kashi and Mathura. By no means was the VHP about to give up its demand for the idgah/ mosque adjacent to the Krishna temple in Mathura and Vishwanath temple in Kashi. While asking the Government to legislate on Ayodhya — a request conveyed several times to the BJP directly by Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh leaders and virtually rejected by the party on the plea that its allies were opposed to it and its own numerical strength in Parliament was not sufficient to get the legislation through — the VHP leader, Ashok Singhal, made it clear that he had "no expectation" from the party which had dropped its own Ram temple agenda. "We have no expectation from the BJP. It did nothing for Hindu `samaj'; it dropped three points from its agenda."

Asked who then should try for a consensus on the legislation, Mr. Singhal said that "undoubtedly it was the responsibility of Advaniji (Deputy Prime Minister) and Atalji (Prime Minister) to work for the consensus. When they want it they work for it and get it. How did they get the Prevention of Terrorism Act through?" The suggestion was that the BJP and its leaders were using the allies as an excuse but had done nothing to try and work out a consensus.

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