M A I N   N E W S

Dialogue best option for Ayodhya: Advani

Raipur, July 20
Virtually spiking the Sangh Parivar’s demand for a legislation to construct Ram temple in Ayodhya, Deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani said today dialogue was the “best option” to resolve the tangle.

Addressing the valedictory session of the three-day meeting of the BJP’s national executive, which yesterday favoured a legislation on temple construction, Mr Advani said there was a thaw on the Ayodhya issue now.

“Several Muslim organisations and individuals are now talking of resolution of the Ayodhya issue. It is for this reason that the issue has become unfrozen. A settlement by a dialogue is the best option .. a settlement which will defuse tension”, he said.

The BJP in its resolution on Ayodhya yesterday had also described an amicable settlement of the tangle through negotiations as the “best option” as a legislation was not possible without the support of NDA allies and the Opposition, particularly the Congress.

In his address, Mr Advani also pointed out that a number of Islamic countries and individuals were attempting to demonstrate their distance from terrorism in the wake of September 11 attacks in the USA.

“Our democracy has many strong points. It assures space for all. It is for this reason that not one Indian has been found involved in the Al-Qaeda”, he said.

Apparently unhappy over the National Conference’s criticism of the NDA government policies after it quit the coalition, Mr Advani said governance in Kashmir was paralysed and it was the BJP-led regime that brought a sea change in the situation there.

“The governance in Kashmir was paralysed. We have brought a sea change in Kashmir. We have launched a sustained campaign against ISI modules. We have the courage to isolate the ideology of terror”, he said.

Charging Pakistan with constantly following the policy of encouraging cross-border terrorism, Mr Advani said the Prime Minister’s third initiative to extend a hand of friendship to Islamabad was part of India’s desire to bring peace to the region.

Mr Advani urged the Congress to “introspect” to find out why a century-old party had degenerated to its present level. “Before Independence, for people it was a matter of pride to be in the Congress, but now they think otherwise,” he said.

Mr Advani alleged that the Congress, over the years, had deviated from the path shown by Mahatma Gandhi, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and Sardar Patel. — PTI, UNI