 |
Tuesday,
March 12, 2002, Chandigarh, India  
|
‘Bhoomi pujan’ plan dropped Ayodhya, March 11 On a day of conflicting signals emanating from Nyas-VHP circles, Nyas chief Mahant Ramchandra Das Paramhans said, he would “donate” a ‘shila’ (carved stone) to the “Receiver” of the disputed site (government) for the construction of the Ram Temple. “We had thought the Ram Janambhoomi would be handed over to us by March 12 and we would go there on March 15 with shilas to begin the construction work,” RJN president Ramchandra Das Paramhans told PTI here. “But Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee failed to hand over the land,” he said adding “we will not go to others’ land for ‘sangharsh’ (struggle) or take law into our hands.” However, on way to Ayodhya, VHP international working president Singhal told reporters in Lucknow that the ‘puja’ will be conducted within 67 acres of the acquired land. Singhal, who met UP Governor Vishnukant Shastri, was given permission by state Government to visit the temple town. Echoing Paramhans’s views, Bajrang Dal founder president and BJP MP Vinay Katiyar told PTI in New Delhi that no “bhoomi pujan’ will be performed but only a donation of pillars will take place on March 15. Divisional Commissioner A.K. Gupta, who is the authorised person of the Receiver (Government of India), said he could accept the “donation” only after receiving a nod from the Centre. “But first we must receive something in writing from the mahant,” the Divisional Commissioner said. Paramhans, who claimed that Lord Rama had directed him to give donation after appearing in his dream last night, said he would not “force” the Receiver to accept the donation. He said after “donating” the shila, he would observe how it is kept. “If it is given due respect, I will hand over all the shilas
to them (government). Let them construct the temple at the birth place of Ram Lalla.” Asked where he would “offer” the donation, Paramhans said it was for the Receiver to decide. The ‘shila’ had been selected from among a large number, he said. “I will not force myself into the undisputed land and will go only up to a point permitted for general public,” he said adding he would seek “permission” prior to such a step. Asked whether he would take out a procession while going to offer the donation, he said “I will carry with me any number of Ram bakhts willing to come with me.” He said he had taken a “pledge not to enter the ‘Garbh Griha’ (sanctum sanctorum) of the Ram Temple as also the Kashi and Mathura temples till these were handed over to Hindus.
PTI |
|||||||
|
Admn steps to stop Ram sevaks’ assembly
Ayodhya, March 11 Additional Director-General of Police (Law and Order) A.K. Mitra today told PTI here that about 50 Ram sevaks were apprehended from the Majha area (the areas along the Saryu) and were sent back to their destinations in Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Orissa, Uttaranchal and Gujarat, last night. The police is maintaining a close watch on the temples, ashrams, chhavnis and other possible places where Ram sevaks could “hide and arrive here on March 15 taking us by surprise,” he said. Mr Mitra said in 1990 and 1992 thousands of kar sevaks had “hid themselves in the Majha and other areas in the adjoining districts of Ambedkar Nagar, Gonda, Basti, Barabanki, Sultanpur and Baharaich and converged on this holy town suddenly, catching the administration unawares.” This time, however, “we are fully prepared to meet any such possibility and we will ensure that no build up of Ram sevaks takes place in the adjoining districts,” Mr Mitra said. The authorities in as many as 19 adjoining districts have been directed to “set up temporary jails in their areas and the District Magistrates have been given the powers of Additional Inspector General (Prison)”, Mr Mitra said. Besides, buses of the state roadways have also been requisitioned in Faizabad and the adjoining districts to transport the arrested Ram sevaks, he said. Mr Mitra said they were not anticipating “much trouble” here as the VHP had not received as much “public support” as in 1990 and 1992. Mr Mitra said the administration had also requisitioned one company of the river police to “effectively man” the sprawling banks of the Saryu river. Meanwhile, the Faizabad district administration is making tight security arrangements for tomorrow’s Shivratri celebrations and for a meeting of sants called by Ramjanmabhoomi Nyas Chairman Paramhans Ramchandra Das on March 14. Inspector-General Harbhajan Singh today said they had so far no plans to put any restrictions on the annual celebration but were leaving nothing to chance from the security point of view.
PTI, UNI |
|
Ayodhya issue: all eyes on Supreme Court New Delhi, March 11 In a related development, the Supreme Court was moved again today by United Lawyers’ Front president Aslam Suhrawardy who has sought impleadment in the case suggesting simultaneous construction of a temple and a mosque at the site. In his petition, Mr Suhrawardy said the Ayohdya issue was affecting the secular fabric of the country and hence it was necessary to apprise the Supreme Court to restrain the government from subjecting itself to the pressure of either the VHP or the Babri Masjid Action Committee (BMAC). This could be done by “constituting a committee of former Chief Justices, Judges, eminent jurists, Journalists, people from the field of art and culture belonging to both the communities to undertake the work of construction of Ram mandir and simultaneously of a masjid”, the petition said. When this petition was mentioned before a Bench headed by Justice B.N. Kirpal, it directed Mr Suhrawardy to file it first. After filing the petition, Mr Suhrawardy told newspersons that the same had been listed for March 13, when the apex court would hear the petition filed by Mr Bhure. Mr Bhure has sought the deployment of the Army at the disputed site, restraining of kar sevaks from reaching Ayodhya and seizure of the stone pillar and other works lying at Kar Sevak Puram near Ayodhya and Pindwara in Rajasthan. The apex court would hear on March 15 another petition seeking contempt of Court proceedings against VHP leadership and former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Rajnath Singh for violating the status quo orders. Meanwhile, Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) president G.M. Banatwala has demanded that Ayodhya should be declared a disturbed area and the town be handed over to the Army besides seizing the material to be used for the temple construction. In a letter to Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, Mr Banatwala said: “I respectfully submit that the weak-kneed policy and procrastination on the part of the government has emboldened the outfits involved in the Ayodhya movement and done a great damage”. In an another development, the All India Confederation of SC/ST Organisations has threatened that if the VHP and sants “do not refrain from kar seva at the disputed site at Ayodhya and infringe the Constitutional provisions, they will be resisted by us physically”. “Dalits are being appealed that they should not join or assist the VHP in any manner in carrying out kar seva at Ayodhya and should also take notice that the same VHP created a lot of hinderences at the time of diksha on November 4, 2001, which was a noble cause”, the confederation said in a statement and demanded that the VHP sholud be banned and its leaders should be booked under POTO. The confederation would hold a massive demonstration on March 13 before Parliament, the statement said. |
 |
| Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir | Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs | Nation | Editorial | | Business | Sport | World | Mailbag | In Spotlight | Chandigarh Tribune | Ludhiana Tribune 50 years of Independence | Tercentenary Celebrations | | 122 Years of Trust | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | Suggestion | E-mail | |
