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Ayodhya: SC Not to Take Up Centre's Plea Before Feb 21
(February 13, 2003)

          NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Thursday refused to take up before February 21 the Centre's plea for hearing its application on the vacation of the apex court's order banning any kind of religious activity in the 77 acres of land in Ayodhya acquired by the Government after the demolition of the disputed structure in 1992.

           Solicitor-General Kirit Rawal presented the matter before a bench comprising Chief Justice VN Khare, Justices SP Sinha and AR Lakshmanan and requested the court to hear the Government's plea at the earliest. However, the court enquired as to when the matter has been listed and on being told it was for February 21, the court said it should come on that date. The dharam sansad organised by the VHP to chalk out plans for temple construction if the Government failed to hand over the undisputed land to the parishad is slated for February 22.

          The Centre had moved the court on February 4 within hours of Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee meeting Kanchi Shankaracharya who had last year played a crucial role in the Ayodhya issue by holding negotiations with the parties involved in the dispute. The Government application sought vacation of the apex court's March 13, 2002 order, by which, on the eve of the controversial shiladaan ceremony organised by the VHP, the court had banned any "kind of religious activity, including shiladaan, on the acquired undisputed land.

BJP, RSS Meet: No Decision Taken, Says Mahajan (Go To Top)
(February 13, 2003)

          NEW DELHI: A meeting between Bharatiya Janata Party leaders and those of the Rashtriya Swayam Sevak Sangh was held here on Thursday. Coming as it does a day after the Vishwa Hindu Parishad's threat to launch a mass campaign over the construction of a Ram temple at the site of the razed Babri Masjid, the meeting generated a lot of interest. But the BJP spokesman Pramod Mahajan said it was just a routine meet.

          "This meeting had no special agenda. Generally we keep looking to the RSS for guidance. Our party president and five ministers discussed various national issues with them and took their guidance, but the meeting had no definite agenda, nor did it decide anything definite," Mahajan explained. Pro-Hindu outfits in India have recently once again raked up the issue of temple construction in Ayodhya. The VHP is demanding that the Government hand over the disputed land to a trust of Hindu seers, Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas, by February 22 or be ready to face an agitation.

          This hardline group wants to build a temple on the disputed site that some Hindus believe is the birth place of Lord Ram. The site was acquired by the Government after the mosque was demolished there in 1992 by a mob, triggering nation-wide riots in which 3,000 people died. Mahajan said the BJP was happy that the Government approached the Supreme Court over the issue.

           "We are very happy that the Government has moved to the Supreme Court to resolve the issue of Ayodhya by requesting the Supreme Court to take an early decision on the stay on undisputed land and we hope and pray that the Supreme Court would start its hearing at the earliest. About the date, naturally it is the prerogative of the Supreme Court to decide the date," he elaborated.

           The Indian Government recently petitioned before the apex court for an early disposal of the case and sought relaxation to allow VHP to start building the temple on the undisputed land, also acquired by the court, until disposal of the land title deed case. A similar appeal last year to allow Hindus symbolic prayers at the undisputed land was rejected by the court.
(February 13, 2003)