M A I N   N E W S

Kanchi seer to play arbiter in Delhi

New Delhi, June 24
Kanchi Shankaracharya Jayendra Saraswati arrived in the Capital today amid speculations of another round of efforts on his part to resolve the Ayodhya issue.

The seer, who had made an abortive attempt in March to find a solution to the issue through talks with Hindu and Muslim leaders as well as the government, is likely to play the role of the negotiator once again during his three-day stay in the city.

The Shankaracharya’s visit assumes special significance in the view of the recent turnaround made by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) regarding its earlier commitment to maintain a status quo on the disputed site in Ayodhya till the announcement of a court verdict on the dispute.

VHP working President Ashok Singhal would call on the seer tomorrow to formally request him to withdraw VHP’s written assurance given to the Centre, to await the court order on the Ayodhya dispute. The commitment was made by Mr Singhal on behalf of the Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas during the run up to the March 15 “shiladaan” programme in Ayodhya.

The VHP, at a crucial meeting of its Kendriya Margadarshak Mandal in Hardwar over the weekend, had decided to go back on its commitment to accept the court verdict on the Ayodhya issue.

The highest decision making body of the VHP had also urged the seer through a letter to take back the written assurance.

The VHP said the assurance was given to the government in the wake of its promise to lift all restrictions in Ayodhya, allow the March 15 programme without any obstruction and hand over the undisputed land in Ayodhya to the Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas for starting construction of the Ram Temple.

The parishad said it had now decided withdraw the assurance as the government did not fulfil its promises.

The Shankaracharya, who was originally scheduled to fly from Chennai to the Badrinath shrine today, changed his programme due to the bad weather in the hills.

Nepal’s King Gyanendra is also expected to call on the pontiff on June 26, according to a trustee of the Kamakshi Mandir where the seer is camping.

During his last visit to the city in March, the Shankaracharya held talks with Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and leaders of the VHP and the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) in a bid to defuse the Ayodhya crisis ahead of the ‘shiladaan’ programme. His efforts, however, could not fructify due to the uncompromising positions taken by the VHP and the (AIMPLB). UNI