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AYODHYA ISSUE
Legislation only solution: VHP
Tribune News Service & UNI

New Delhi, April 2
Asserting that the March 31 Supreme Court verdict on Ayodhya had left it with only one “democratic way” — legislation in Parliament — for the peaceful resolution of the Ayodhya issue, the VHP warned that people would reject political parties which were not in favour of construction of the Ram temple.

“The only democratic way for us after the Supreme Court verdict is to mount pressure on the government and each Member of Parliament to favour a legislation for the construction of the Ram temple,” VHP General Secretary Praveen Togadia told newspersons on the conclusion of the parishad’s week-long “satyagraha” here.

“If we do not succeed through the democratic way, one should not forget that there is another option available to us — the anarchic way — i.e. a repeat of December 6, 1992,” Mr Togadia warned.

Meanwhile, thousands of VHP and Bajrang Dal activists courted arrest on the last day of the “satyagraha”.

Six BJP MPs today courted arrest with VHP and Bajrang Dal leaders. They were Shankar Prasad Jaiswal, Ramnagina Mishra, Tejvir Singh, Sheela Gautam, Padamsen Chowdhury and Ram Sakal — all from Uttar Pradesh.

Stating that the VHP had little hope that the Supreme Court would pass a judgement in its favour for handing over the “undisputed land” and that the organisation had even planned to call off its “satyagraha” in the event of a positive order, Mr Togadia said “now we can’t trust that we will get the Ram temple through the courts”.

Claiming that some of the grassroots-level leaders and second-generation leaders belonging to the Congress, who were in favour of the construction of the Ayodhya temple, were in touch with him, Mr Togadia said the VHP would build up a massive people’s movement in the country whereby the only route to Delhi for political parties would be through Ayodhya.

“Only those persons or political parties, who favour construction of the Ram temple will be able to rule the country in future,” he said.

Stating that the future course of action would be finalised at the two-day meeting of the top leaders of the Ramjanambhoomi Construction Committee on April 29 and 30 in Ayodhya, Mr Togadia said VHP volunteers would soon approach every MP, cutting across party lines, seeking their written pledge in favour of a legislation for the construction of the Ram temple.

“We will approach all MPs, including Muslims, and the VHP will launch a massive agitation against those MPs who refuse to sign the pledge,” Mr Togadia said.

Claiming that the week-long “satyagraha” agitation in the Capital was a grand success, he said over 1.73 lakh activists and leaders from across the country participated in the programme.

“The VHP has demonstrated through the “satyagraha” programme that it can agitate for a cause in strength and peacefully too,” he added.