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N Sathiya Moorthy in Chennai
The Bharatiya Janata Party has taken strong exception to the comments of some Vishwa Hindu Parishad leaders who said that they would not hesitate to 'sacrifice the government' for the cause of constructing the Ram Temple in Ayodhya.
"The VHP is not a partner in the NDA government. How can they sacrifice a government of which they are not partners?" senior BJP leader and Union Minister M Venkaiah Naidu asked in Chennai on Thursday.
Naidu also came down heavily on the VHP's decision to go ahead with the construction of the temple after March 12.
"The Centre will permit construction of temple only if there is an agreement between the Hindus and Muslims, or the Supreme Court permitted the VHP to do so," he said.
Naidu declared that the Centre would take all steps to prevent any communal flare up that might arise in the light of the VHP's announcement.
"The government will uphold the Rule of Law," he asserted.
He justified Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee holding talks with sants (saints) on the issue.
"When government can hold talks with banned organisations, why not with sants?" he asked.
He also defended Vajpayee's decision to refer the VHP's demand for handing over the undisputed land to it to the law ministry for final decision.
"The prime minister only wanted to know the exact legal position. There is nothing wrong in it," he said.
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