New Delhi, August 28
The Prime Minister’s Office has decided to rope in Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s political secretary Ahmed Patel to play a key role in bringing Muslim religious and political leaders to the negotiation table for an out-of-court settlement of the sensitive Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid dispute pending for decades. Also, Patel has been entrusted the job to brief Sonia on the issue.

And for bringing reputed Hindu religious and political personalities on the negotiation table, the PMO is taking the help of many “middle men”, high-placed sources told The Tribune on Saturday.

On the other hand, top Bharatiya Janata Party leader LK Advani has taken the lead of assisting Hindu and Muslim representatives for finding an out-of-court solution to the Ayodhya issue. Sources say Advani has conveyed to a Muslim “go-between” that this time he would “keep the RSS Parivar organisations under control”.

Advani was present at the disputed site when the 500-year-old Babri mosque was allegedly demolished by Hindu ‘kar sevaks’ on December 6, 1992. The Capital is witnessing fast developments on the issue as the judgment of the Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court on the title suit is expected in September. The court reserved its judgment in July. Notably, for the first time the court will decide whether there was a mosque or a temple at the disputed site.

Muslim petitioners are expecting the judgment to be in their favour as they claim that they held the title of the disputed land for centuries. On the other hand, the Hindu religious organisations are claiming that the verdict would be in their favour as the digging done by the Archeological Survey of India on the court’s order has shown that “a Hindu temple existed below the mosque structure.”

The Vishwa Hindu Parishad has demanded that Parliament should enact a law to hand over the “birthplace of Ram Lalla” to the Hindu society. Since August 15, the VHP and other Hindu organisations have launched the recital of ‘Hanuman Chalisa’ in temples all over the country.

The Centre is worried about the law and order situation as hardcore Hindu religious bodies are maintaining that their pledge to build Lord Ram’s temple would continue to stand, irrespective of the outcome of the court’s verdict. Some Muslim religious leaders are claiming that a new mosque would be built at the site, irrespective of the judgment.

Many proposals are being discussed for an out-of-court settlement. One suggestion talks about the fact that the Waqf authorities during Nawab Awadh Wajid Ali Shah’s regime gave land for ‘Sita’s rasoi (kitchen) in the Babri Masjid complex. The Wakf Board should now hand over the disputed site for Ram temple to maintain peace and harmony in the country.

A Muslim businessman from a southern state, playing an interlocutor’s role between the PMO and top BJP leaders, is of the view that “so much blood has already been shed on this issue… Therefore, if the court verdict comes in favour of the Muslims, then they should gracefully work out a settlement with Hindus to let them build Ram temple there, and, if the judgment is in the Hindus’ favour, then Muslims should not challenge it in the Supreme Court… the best thing would be to reach an agreement before the court’s verdict”.

Ahmad Patel (Congress) His role: Bringing Muslim religious and political leaders to the negotiation table for an out-of-court settlement
Briefing Congress president Sonia Gandhi 

LK Advani (BJP)
His role: Assisting Hindu and Muslim representatives; sources say Advani has conveyed to a Muslim “go-between” that this time he would “keep the RSS Parivar organisations under control”

Hindus claim the verdict would be in their favour as the digging done by the ASI showed “a Hindu temple existed below the mosque structure”