Of Fascist Freak Show and Babri Fracas
Sid Harth
RSS offers alternative
New Delhi, Dec. 18: Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh spokesman M G Vaidya on
Monday came up with a new formula for an out-of-court settlement of the
Ayodhya issue, according to which the Centre should decontrol the land
acquired by it at Ayodhya and hand it over to the original owners.
Vaidya said the Ram Janmabhoomi Trust originally owned about 80 per
cent of the acquired land and if that was restored to the trust, the
construction of the Ram temple at Ayodhya could proceed without
meddling with the disputed land which is merely 2.71 acre.
The trust could later procure the disputed chunk of land by giving a
compensation to the Babri Masjid action committee, Vaidya said in
response to a question as to what could be the solution to the
protracted problem.
“Moreover, the construction of the portions of the temple over the
undisputed stretch would go on for about three years and in the
meantime, some way could easily be evolved to settle the issue of the
disputed site,’’ he said.
The other two solutions to the Ayodhya imbroglio had already been
pointed out by Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee in his recent
statements, Vaidya said. “One is to wait for the judgement of the court
and the other is compromise between the Hindus and Muslims,’’ he added.
But the RSS was in favour of an out-of-court settlement of the issue
which would be the most simple solution of the seemingly complex issue,
Vaidya said.
Meanwhile, the Organisation of Islamic Conference has expressed “deep
concern” over the recent controversy over the Ayodhya issue and urged
the Indian government to “ensure the sanctity of the Babri mosque” and
other Islamic holy places in India.
In a statement issued in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, the OIC appealed to the
Indian government to prevent any violation of the sanctity of the Babri
mosque.
It called upon India to take immediate steps to implement its “solemn
commitment” to reconstruct the Babri mosque at its original site and to
remove the makeshift temple, Iranian news agency Irna reported. The
OIC, hoped that India will “ensure the sanctity of the five-century-old
Babri mosque and protect other Islamic holy places in India.”
http://www.hindustantimes.com/nonfram/181200/dtLNAT42.asp
PM did not try to influence CBI: Sushma
PTI
(New Delhi, Dec 18)
Information and Broadcasting Minister Sushma Swaraj today said in the
Rajya Sabha that Prime Minsiter Atal Bihari Vajpayee had neither tried
to influence the CBI nor given a clean-chit to three central ministers,
chargesheeted in the Ram Janambhoomi-Babri Masjid demolition case.
The Prime Minister had also not pre-judged the issue by airing his
views in reply to some reporters' queries, she said while intervening
in the discussion on the opposition- sponsored motion, expressing
disagreement of the House on the reported statement by Vajpayee.
Swaraj said Vajpayee had categorically stated that the law would take
its own course, but he personally believed that the three ministers
were innocent.
Strongly opposing the motion and refuting the charges levelled by Kapil
Sibal, a noted legal personality of the Congress, Swaraj, also an
advocate, said "where does the question arise of the Prime Minister
giving a clean-chit to the three central ministers--L K Advani, M M
Joshi and Uma Bharati--when he had never considered them guilty."
The House witnessed a court-like scene when Sibal and Swaraj strongly
arguing the minute legal points. At one stage, Swaraj said if Sibal
wanted, she was prepared to wear the legal black gown, which she had
abandoned 20 years ago, to challenge him in the court on the issue.
Sibal said he was prepared for the challenge provided the "culprits"
were brought before the house.
http://www.hindustantimes.com/nonfram/181200/dtLNAT39.asp
BJP plays down Thackeray's statement
PTI
(New Delhi, Dec 18)
BJP today played down the statement by Shiv Sena Chief Bal Thackeray
that "it is time to disenfranchise all Muslims in the country," saying
it would have to examine the context in which it was said.
"I have not seen it or read it. I don't know in what context it has
been said," BJP spokesman Vijay Kumar Malhotra told reporters in reply
to a question on Thackeray's statement in an interview to Shiv Sena
mouthpiece.
"Bjp is not in favour of any citizen of this country being
disenfranchised," he added.
http://sg.dailynews.yahoo.com/headlines/asia/article.html?
s=singapore/headlines/001218/asia/afp/Opposition_attacks_Vajpayee_in_par
liament_over_mosque_razing_row.html
Opposition attacks Vajpayee in parliament over mosque razing row
Monday, December 18 9:32 PM SGT
NEW DELHI, Dec 18 (AFP) -
A cabinet colleague of Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee on
Monday denied the premier was shielding three ministers linked to the
1992 razing of a mosque by Hindu fanatics.
Information and Broadcasting Minister Sushma Swaraj sprang to
Vajpayee's defence during a heated debate in parliament over the prime
minister's refusal to sack the three ministers named by federal
detectives who probed the demolition.
"Where does the question arise of the prime minister giving a clean
chit to the three ministers when he had never considered them guilty?"
Swaraj said in the upper house, where Vajpayee's government is in a
minority.
"Vajpayee had stated categorically that the law would take its own
course, but he personally believes the three ministers are innocent."
Vajpayee last week survived an opposition-led motion demanding the
sacking of Home Minister Lal Krishna Advani, Sports Minister Uma Bharti
and Human Resources Minister Murli Manohar Joshi.
Swaraj, a leader of Vajpayee's Hindu nationalist BJP party, also
defended the prime minister's recent comments that the construction of
a Hindu temple on the mosque's ruins was an unfinished national task.
And she rejected opposition charges that the prime minister tried to
influence the federal Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which
probed the mosque's destruction on December 6, 1992.
Vajpayee's explosive comments earlier this month led to the adjournment
of parliament for a week and was followed by the weekend vote, which
the BJP-led coalition government easily survived.
Earlier Monday, Pranab Mukherjee, senior leader of the main opposition
Congress party, accused Vajpayee of "protecting" the three ministers.
Mukherjee said the three cabinet members should have been sacked
immediately after being cited by the CBI for inciting a Hindu
fundamentalist mob to destroy the Babri mosque.
"A clear message has to go out from parliament that there cannot be any
compromise on the secular character of the country which is a basic
feature of the Indian constitution," said Mukherjee.
The debate in the upper house may be followed by a similar vote, but
the result would not carry the same weight as a vote in the Lok Sabha,
the lower house.
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