Not Maya but minorities prick new govt

Even as trouble has started brewing for Mulayam Singh Yadav from unexpected quarters — the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB)...

Even as trouble has started brewing for Mulayam Singh Yadav from unexpected quarters — the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) and the Left parties — the BJP is making his job difficult by repeatedly harping on the temple issue.

The AIMPLB and the CPI have voiced concern over the VHP’s attempt to misuse the ‘‘saffronised ASI report’’ even before Mulayam has formed the Council of Ministers. The BJP, on other hand, has raised the decibel level over the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya. ‘‘The ASI report has given enough evidence that there was a temple at the disputed site. It is the time for political parties to come clear on their stand,’’ Union Agriculture Minister Rajnath Singh said.

‘‘The VHP will use the saffron report (ASI’s findings) to foment communal trouble,’’ said Zafaryab Jilani, AIMPLB member and counsel to Sunni Central Board of Waqfs.

‘‘The Sangh is doing a rehearsal of the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections. It is misusing the ASI report to create a pro-temple wave. The formation of the Mulayam government is part of the Parivar’s strategy to boost its temple movement, as it had benefited to a large extent in 1991 when Mulayam backed Muslims and BJP was voted to power with majority,’’ said CPI national secretary Atul Kumar Anjan.

Jilani alleged that the ASI report, which was submitted to the Allahabad High Court on August 22 , was ‘‘partisan’’ as it did not mention the recovery of animal bones from the site. ‘‘If there was a tenth century temple, as mentioned by the ASI, from where did the animal bones come from? The bones were recovered in our presence but we are surprised that it found no mention in the report,’’ Jilani said.

He said while the Waqfs board will file its objections on the report after getting it examined by its own panel of archaeologists and historians within six weeks, the VHP should be checked from fomenting communal trouble on the issue.

The AIMPLB’s apprehensions does not augur well for Mulayam, who has been claiming to be the sole champion of the minority community in the state. ‘‘The government in UP has been formed with indirect support from the BJP and I will expose the conspiracy of the BJP and the SP,’’ former Chief Minister Mayawati had said.

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State BJP chief Vinay Katiyar has gone a step further by stating that his party would abstain from the vote of confidence, if the need arises.

‘‘Mulayam should not worry about smaller parties like Congress and RLD for the vote of confidence. The situation is turning into what it was in 1991 when the party got absolute majority. Mulayam should play his role at this juncture and persuade the Muslims to give up their claim on the disputed site, especially after the ASI report,’’ he said.