New Delhi, October 4
Senior BJP leader LK Advani feels “vindicated” about his Ayodhya “rath yatra” in the wake of the Allahabad High Court verdict and prefers a negotiated settlement for building a Ram temple at the place where the makeshift now stands.

Advani, mascot of the temple campaign who launched the rath yatra in 1989, also rejected criticism that the last week’s judgment put faith above law, saying it was only a case of “faith upheld by law”.

He strongly endorsed party president Nitin Gadkari’s suggestion that the Muslims could build a mosque “outside the complex” in Faizabad on the banks of the Saryu.

The BJP leader, who would turn 84 next month, was careful in his statements and did not say anything that could ruffle the feathers in the Muslim community.

“Yes, I do feel vindicated because I believe that until 1989, the BJP was not part of this (temple) movement which actually started in 1949,” he said, to a question whether the judgment has vindicated his temple campaign launched in 1989 from Somnath to Ayodhya. Replying to questions on what was the way forward and whether the BJP and the Sangh Parivar would take the initiative for a negotiated settlement, Advani said. — PTI