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Bharti reiterates demand
for Ayodhya temple

Even as the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party's central leadership was busy giving out explanations on the Babri Masjid demolition in an obvious attempt to disown its responsibility, firebrand Union Sports Minister Uma Bharti dropped a bombshell.

In a statement from Rath, a town in Hamirpur district of southern Uttar Pradesh, Bharti repeated her stand on the Ram temple controversy. "The temple will be built right there at the birthplace of Lord Ram and no court can come in the way of this construction," she told a rally.

Bharti, who had played a major role in stoking the temple controversy, told the audience amid applause, "Courts can settle disputes relating to land and property, but cannot pass judgment on the question of the faith of the people."

Her remarks ["issues like Ayodhya can be decided only by the courts of sadhus and mahatmas] stirred a hornet's nest as Opposition leaders accused the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government of doublespeak.

Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee chief Sriprakash Jaiswal castigated the BJP. "Bharti is a Union minister and any statement by her reflects the collective view of the government. No matter how much BJP chief Bangaru Laxman may try to give his twist to the issue, it is amply clear that the BJP still has unholy designs about Ayodhya," he told rediff.com

Samajwadi Party state chief Ram Saran Das said, "We have always maintained that the BJP has no respect for courts and this has been amply demonstrated in Bharti's statement."

Significantly, Bharti clarified that her stand was different from the BJP's. "I know our party has kept the Ayodhya issue out of its agenda, but that was because we do not have our own government," she told the gathering, while urging the crowd to mobilise more people to get the party to power. "Once we have our government things will be different," she added.

Bharti's statement has rejuvenated the otherwise dampened spirits of the BJP's frontal organisations like the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal. The leaders of these organisations have hailed the minister for her "bold stand". State VHP chief Purshottam Narain Singh said, "If only other BJP leaders could muster courage like Bharti, the temple construction could start any day."

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