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Basharat Peer in New Delhi.
The Babri Masjid Action Committee on Monday dismissed the Vishwa Hindu Parishad's demand that the government hand over 47 out of the 67 acres of land around the disputed site at Ayodhya as an election gimmick by the VHP and the Bharatiya Janata Party.
"Hue and cry is being raised basically to cash on it in the UP election. The BJP and VHP will continue saying all this till February 24, the day of the election. It is an attempt to raise frenzy and cash on the Hindu vote bank," the convenor of the BMAC, Zafaryab Geelani, said.
The VHP had organised a seven-day Sant Chetavani Yatra, which culminated in New Delhi on Sunday where an ultimatum was served to the government to hand over the land at Ayodhya or face the wrath of the sants.
Following the rally, a delegation of sants had met the prime minister, who, reacting to their demand, referred it to the law ministry to look into the legal and constitutional points of handing over the land.
The PM has also asked the law ministry to see whether the Ayodhya court case could be expedited.
The BMAC is comfortable with the law ministry deciding on the question, as it believes that the ministry cannot hand over the land to the VHP or anyone if it follows the law.
"The Supreme Court judgement of October 24, 1994 clearly states that the land adjacent to the demolished Babri Masjid structure will go to the party who wins the case going on in the Allahabad High Court," Geelani said.
"The Supreme Court has held that the acquisition of the adjacent land and property is important to the settlement of the dispute, and it can be examined only after the title case is decided," he added.
Commenting on the claims of the sants at the Sant Chetavani Yatra on Sunday that they do not need to depend on the judiciary or the government to build a Ram temple, Geelani said such statements amounted to contempt of court.
Meanwhile, the Congress party came out in total opposition to handing over of the undisputed land to the Ram Janmabhoomi Trust at Ayodhya saying that a decision in the matter could only be taken after the dispute is finally settled in a court of law.
"In our view, the 1994 Supreme Court judgment does not permit the government to hand over the adjoining piece of land. The government is only statutory receiver of the piece of land," party spokesman S Jaipal Reddy told reporters.
Stating that the government could take a decision in the matter only after the dispute is finally settled in a court of law, he said that construction of the temple could not be allowed to start until the dispute is settled.
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