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VHP adamant on March 15 deadline

Tara Shankar Sahay in New Delhi

Ashok Singhal, international working president of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, asserted on Monday that 'Ram sevaks' would march to the 'undisputed' land in Ayodhya carrying material for temple construction on March 15 and court arrest in case they were stopped.

Addressing a crowded news conference in the capital along with several sants, Singhal said they did not believe Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee would be able to resolve the matter by March 15 and so would begin construction work at the undisputed site.

The government, he said, had not yet indicated its mind on the VHP's demand to return the 'undisputed' land at Ayodhya, which had caused considerable anguish to the Sangh Parivar.

Earlier, Mahant Avaidyanath, former MP, indicated that there was scope for a dialogue with the government on the contentious issue if it withdraws all paramilitary forces from Ayodhya, allows the movement of construction material for the temple to the undisputed site, and transfers that plot to the Ram Janambhoomi Nyas.

But Mahant Ramchandra Paramhans of the Nyas contradicted Avaidyanath, saying there was no scope for any dialogue with the government and the programme for construction of the Ram temple was immutable.

He said a situation had been created in the country today where a Hindu could not live with his head held high. Hindus were being butchered, he said, but Muslims were receiving sympathy from all political parties.

"Doesn't the government know that Ayodhya is the birthplace of Lord Ram and not Babur?" Paramhans remarked. "While Muslims are given concessions for going to Haj, Hindus are being ignored even by the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government."

According to Singhal, the VHP's 100-day yagna [fire ritual] will continue until June 3. During this period, he said, construction of the temple could begin any day.

Photograph: Bivas Banerjee/Saab Press

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