Temple work on, says VHP; not really, asserts the PM

“No power on earth, not even the Supreme Court, can prevent Vishwa Hindu Parishad from achieving the goal”, Kishore said.

In an interview to the latest issue of Outlook magazine, the VHP leader said cutting and carving of stone for the Ram temple, now on in Ayodhya “in full swing”, would be completed in two years, a press release by the periodical said.

Expecting the BJP government “to remove all impediments and hindrances” in the construction of the temple, Kishore remarked “the land will be definitely handed over to us.”

“"What is our work now? Only to make the temple bhavya (grand),” he said, adding“In India there is only one dharma — that is Hinduism. The others are mazhabs.”

“The puja at the disputed site cannot be stopped. Nobody can move the makeshift temple,” Kishore said.

Although the title suits are still in court, the VHP leader said that would pose no problem. “Title hai to hum taiyar kar lenge maal, par mandir banega nischit (If there is a title we will prepare ourselves, but the temple will definitely be constructed.”

The VHP’s assertion is in striking contrast to assurances given by Vajpayee and Home Minister L K Advani in Parliament this week that the BJP-led coalition government would maintain the status quo ordered by the apex court.

Today, replying to questions on the issue, Vajpayee told mediapersons, “I will ascertain all facts and the information I have is that no construction activity is going on anywhere near the disputed site”.

Vajpayee was here to inaugurate a training camp for “first-time BJP MPs”.The Opposition yesterday chargedin the Lok Sabha that workmen were giving finishing touches to prefabricated materials in different cities to build a temple at Ayodhya and demanded a categorical statement from the government. Advani’s statement that court orders in this regard would be scrupulously adhered to failed to satisfy them.