Two days after it moved the Supreme Court to lift the ban on religious activities in the acquired land in Ayodhya, the government was attacked by its key allies and its own Parivar.
While the Telugu Desam and the Samata Party spoke out against the move, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad expressed doubts about its sincerity. Its leader Giriraj Kishore even said that the Government had wanted the VHP to move the court but it refused.
Divided colours of Ayodhya |
The pressure from both sides leaves the government in an awkward spot on the eve of the Budget session in Parliament with the VHP Dharam Sansad just two weeks away.
Telugu Desam parliamentary party leader K Yerran Naidu said at Hyderabad that the Centre’s action amounts to a deviation from the NDA agenda. He accused the BJP of ‘‘pursuing its own agenda.’’
Naidu said: ‘‘What is the necessity of reviving the Ayodhya issue now when the country is facing so many problems… What will they get out of this?’’ The Telugu Desam, he maintained, would ‘‘definitely oppose the decision on the floor of the House.’’ He pointed out that Ayodhya, common civil code and Article 370 were all kept aside while formulating the NDA agenda.
Naidu said, ‘‘On one side, the country is facing the problem of infiltration and on the other side as many as 14 states are facing severe drought. What is the use of raising Ayodhya issue now? Will they get water or food (by raising Ayodhya issue)?’’
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu is likely to convey to Prime Minister A B Vajpayee his unhappiness over the Centre’s decision. Naidu will be meeting the prime minister in New Delhi on February 8.
Naidu who reivewed the Ayodhya developments is understood to have told the party leaders that it was not correct to rake up the Ayodhya dispute at a time when the country was passing through drought and drinking water scarcity.
Samata Party spokesman Shambhu Srivastav went a step further and expressed the apprehension that the Centre may pass an executive order to hand over the undisputed land to the Ramjanmabhoomi Nyas, bypassing the Muslim community, if the apex court vacated its stay on religious activities there.
Srivastav told reporters in New Delhi: ‘‘The Centre should go to the Supreme Court and seek permission to hand over the undisputed land to the Nyas. If the court allows, then it is all right.’’ An executive order, according to him, would mean ignoring the Muslim community ‘‘which goes against the spirit of the NDA agenda.’’ Someone might even challenge it through a public interest litigation (PIL), he added.
The news from within the Parivar was also not good. VHP vice-president Giriraj Kishore described the Government move as ‘‘belated’’ and expressed doubts over any concrete outcome.
When asked about the mediation of Kanchi Shankaracharya Jayendra Saraswathi, Kishore said it is ‘‘irrelevant.’’
He said: ‘‘We respect him, but he failed last time. We don’t want him to get humiliated. We were told that one of the Union ministers would resign if shiladaan was not allowed.
Nothing happened. We don’t think it would be possible to get the stay vacated, dispose of Aslam Bhure’s writ petition and hand over the land for temple construction before February 22. I cannot say with what intention has the Government moved the court. The Government wanted us to go to court, but we refused.’’
Law Minister Arun Jaitley defended the move arguing that it was the only ‘‘logical course’’ left to avert a showdown in the wake of the Dharm Sansad planned by the VHP for February 22. Jaitley told the media at Shimla, ‘‘It was perfect and only in consonance with the NDA agenda of finding a speedy solution. The court was approached because we are committed to an expeditious resolution to the Ayodhya issue.’’
Regarding Samata views, Jaitley said, ‘‘Samata is a part of the Government and part of the decision-making process and a responsible partner of the NDA Government.’’
Congress spokesman Abhishek Singhvi announced that his party may intervene in the Government application in the Supreme Court while Syed Shahabuddin charged the BJP-led Government with misuse of judicial process for transferring the “so-called” undisputed land to the Nyas.