Uproar in RS over Ayodhya
Tribune News Service

NEW DELHI, Dec 15 — The government today categorically stated in the Rajya Sabha that Ayodhya is neither on the agenda of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) nor on that of the BJP.

The External Affairs Minister and the leader of the House, Mr Jaswant Singh, while trying to cool tempers gave this assurance. The opposition members had been making a persistent demand that the government must clarify its stand on the issue as there was a discrepancy in the statement given by Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and that of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Ram Prakash Gupta on the subject.

The members were of the view that although the Prime Minister had clarified in the Lok Sabha the position with regard to the alleged statement of the UP Chief Minister, yet a private channel television showed the clipping in which Mr Gupta said that Ayodhya was very much on the agenda of the BJP government in UP.

The issue was raised as a special mention by Mr Suresh Pachauri of the Congress who said there were apprehensions that there was some hidden agenda of the government with regard to Ayodhya. He said responsible persons in the NDA government and in the BJP were making contradictory statements on the temple issue.

While UP Chief Minister Ram Prakash Gupta had said that the construction of the temple was on the state government’s agenda, Mr Vajpayee had categorically denied that the issue was on the agenda of the NDA government, Mr Pachauri said.

The Congress member said despite the then Chief Minister’s affidavit in court that the disputed structure would be protected and the assurances by the then Union Home Minister, the structure was demolished. He demanded that the actual legal position of the case be made clear to the people in view of the fact that the Special Judge hearing the case had fixed December 22 as the date of hearing.

Mr Pachauri also wanted the government to ensure that the hearing on the case was held on a day-to-day basis and that the government would not seek adjournment of the case.

When some opposition members too joined Mr Pachauri in raising the demand, the BJP members protested saying that the trial was pending in court and the case could not be decided by the House in this manner. The manner in which the resignation of the Union Ministers charge-sheeted is being demanded is wrong, they added.

Mr Ramashankar Kaushik (SP), aligning himself with Mr Pachauri, asserted that the UP Chief Minister did say something about the construction of the Ram temple being on the agenda of the state government.

Mr Ramsshankar Kaushik (SP) said the issue was serious and sensitive. The manner in which responsible persons were making contradictory statements and expressing opinions was giving rise to communal feelings.

He alleged that the RSS was controlling some organisations through a hidden agenda and trying to build the Ram temple in Ayodhya. The Prime Minister, the Union Minister and the UP Chief Minister by making contradictory statements were fanning communal tension, though the matter was sub judice, he said.

Mr Satish Pradhan (Shiv Sena) suggested a memorial to freedom fighter Mangal Pandey should be built at the disputed site to end the Ramjanambhoomi controversy.

Mr Ramdeo Bhandari (RJD) said the BJP leaders had made umpteen statements on Ayodhya creating confusion, thereby keeping the issue alive. There should be no doublespeak on the issue and the Prime Minister should not keep the people in dark, he said.