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Khurana accuses opposition of extracting political mileage out of Ayodhya issue

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Madan Lal Khurana has charged the Opposition, including the Congress, with trying to keep alive the Ayodhya issue ''to gain political mileage out of it.''

Speaking to newspersons in New Delhi, he criticised the manner in which the Opposition tried to convert a ''non-issue into a serious issue in the Lok Sabha" and drew the media's attention to then home minister Indrajit Gupta's letter to Maulana Asad Madani, ex-MP. In his reply to Madani's letter, Gupta had stated on January 24 this year that ''no construction activity is going on'' at the disputed Ram Janambhoomi-Babri Masjid site at Ayodhya. It is a fact that some stone-cutting and carving of stone pillars is going on in the workshop established by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad which is two km away from the disputed site.

''Since this activity per se does not constitute any violation of the law, it would not be possible for the Government of India or the district administration to take any action in the matter,'' Gupta explained in his letter to Madani.

Khurana said the stone work was going on since 1993 and the state government was collecting trade tax on the stone being brought to Ayodhya and it was brought to the notice of former prime ministers H D Deve Gowda and Inder Kumar Gujral.

UNI

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