The Hindu : BJP celebrates Advani's `discharge' in Ayodhya case

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Saturday, Sep 20, 2003

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BJP celebrates Advani's `discharge' in Ayodhya case

By Arunkumar Bhatt

MUMBAI Sept. 19. Most of the major political parties in Maharashtra today chose not to react to a Rae Bareli court's decision to file chargesheets against some Sangh Parivar leaders in the Ayodhya case, but the State BJP saw in the development a cause to celebrate.

In its opinion, the development meant that the court found the Deputy Prime Minister, L.K. Advani, innocent and the party was not much bothered about the indictment of the others. A garlanded black board bearing Mr. Advani's portrait was displayed at the BJP headquarters here. The board proclaimed that the court's decision was that Mr. Advani was innocent and expressed the party's support to him, assuring him that the people of the country were with him.

Earlier, the BJP activists set off crackers to express their joy. A BJP source said that the party was very happy about the decision that discharged Mr. Advani, and was confident that the other accused would be acquitted eventually.

Now, the BJP's stand is that the construction of a Ram temple at the disputed site should not be linked to the cases related with the demolition of the Babri Masjid and the temple's construction should be allowed there on the basis of the Archaeological Survey of India's findings.

The State units of other parties, particularly the ruling disposition led by the Congress and NCP preferred to wait and see how their top leaders viewed the development. So was the position of the top functionaries of the Shiv Sena, the most trusted and pro-Hindutva ally of the BJP. They waited for their chief, Bal Thackeray, to react.

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BJP celebrates Advani's `discharge' in Ayodhya case