AYODHYA: The so called top religious leaders July 28 expressed unhappiness over certain remarks of the Prime Minister, P.V.Narasimha Rao, during his statement on the Ayodhya issue,
Swami Vamdev, member of the temple renovation committee, said Rao made no reference during his recent meeting with religious leaders in Delhi about the Ayodhya issue being decided by courts.
He said the leaders were surprised at Rao’s remarks that the decision of the proposed judicial authority would be binding on parties.
This issue never figured in our parleys,” he said. The Prime Minister, Swami Vamdev said, had started that he would vigorously pursue efforts initiated by the previous government.
He said Rao sought four months lime to resolve the issue at the “government level.”
The religious leaders had said since the four-month period was considered inauspicious it should be reduced to three months.
We were given to understand that he had agreed to this period. But, in his statement, he has stuck to the four-month period. A meeting of religious leaders was held here to discuss Rao’s statement,
Mahant Nihya said “Courts have their own areas. This issue is beyond the purview of any judicial process.”
Faith of Hindu masses to Lord Rama cannot be adjudicated upon by courts,” he said, adding. “We respect the judiciary but the issue at stake can only be decided by Ram courts, not by the Supreme Court.”
On Rao’s comments that he had not made any commitment to religious leaders, the Mahant said “neither have we.”
We will wait for three months and then decide our future course of action,” he said.
The VHP general secretary, Ashok Singhal, said the Prime Minister had not clearly defined’ the term “judicial authority.”
Mahants was clear that the issue should be decided outside the court, he said.
Instead of trying to pull away the deities of Ramlila from the disputed structure, they (government) should pull out this issue from the court,” he said.
Article extracted from this publication >> Aug 7, 1992
