Ayodhya awaits temple-masjid verdict

The special bench trying the case has reserved its verdict on the 60-year-old lawsuit. According to lawyers representing the concerned parties in the litigation, even after reserving the order, the bench has sought the views of rival parties for a possible out-of-court settlement.

While the Uttar Pradesh and the Union governments have been busy drawing up plans to maintain law and order, the concerned Hindu and Muslim outfits as well the saffron leaders have started giving vent to their feelings in the event of an adverse verdict.

The saints and leaders associated with the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), which had spearheaded the Ram temple movement and was considered responsible for mobilising lakhs of ‘karsevaks’ in Ayodhya leading to the demolition of the disputed structure on Dec 6, 1992, have been saying that they were in favour of building a Ram temple at the ‘garbha griha’ at the disputed site.

Hope bleak

Though both the Hindu and Muslim parties to the suit welcomed the court’s initiative for trying to settle the matter out-of-court, the VHP leaders’ statements have certainly limited the scope for such a settlement, feel the observers here.

Although the BJP has so far shied away from commenting on the matter, its leaders have been saying that they favoured a Ram temple at the disputed site in Ayodhya.
Political observers feel that the BJP could try to use the temple issue to boost the sagging morale of the party workers and regain the lost ground in the politically crucial state of Uttar Pradesh.

“Only Lord Rama can rescue the party (BJP) in UP,” former party president Rajnath Singh said recently. A majority of the saffron party workers also want the party to take a clear-cut line on the temple issue.

The Congress and the Samajwadi Party have also made it clear that they will abide by the court order on the matter.

But the VHP leaders have been outspoken on this issue. The VHP has launched a programme to create awareness among the Hindu masses on the temple issue and exert pressure on the government.

The leaders of VHP have been holding closed-door meetings at Ayodhya for the past few days to chalk out a strategy after the court’s verdict. “While a favourable verdict will be more than welcome, we should also be ready to strongly oppose an adverse judgement,” said a VHP leader in Ayodhya.

The VHP has embarked upon a ‘hanuman shakti jagaran abhiyan’ from August 16 and the outfit plans to hand over a letter to President Pratibha Patil in the next few days containing 11 crore signatures pledging their support for the Ram temple.

“The VHP plans to utilise the saint community to achieve its objectives and its leaders are currently busy meeting the saints to garner their support.” said a VHP leader. Just a few days back, VHP international president Ashok Singhal had met All India Akhara Parishad chief Mahant Gyan Das at Ayodhya and reportedly discussed the ‘post-judgement scenario.’

Singhal has also said that the obstacles in the way of the temple should be removed by enacting a legislation by the parliament.

The worry of the officials in the state and the Centre is to maintain the law and order situation following the verdict and prevent any communal flare up in the country.

Additional companies of the provisional armed constabulary and a posse of the CRPF have been deployed at the disputed site, besides the normal security arrangements, in anticipation of the reactions to the verdict.