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Left claims President's assurance on preventing miscarriage of justice over Ayodhya

President K R Narayanan on Thursday reportedly assured Left Front members of Parliament that he would consider using his good offices to ensure that Supreme Court orders on construction of a temple at Ayodhya were not violated.

According to Gurudas Dasgupta of the Communist Party of India, who led the Left Front members, the President made the assurance after they held a half-hour meeting with him.

Briefing the media outside the Rashtrapati Bhavan after the meeting, Dasgupta said, "The President was appraised of continuing construction activity near the disputed site with the intention of building the temple.''

Dasgupta said statements were being made to the media by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad that the temple would be constructed at the disputed site.

Similarly, Bharatiya Janata Party leaders have said that amendments would be made to allow construction of the temple in case the court verdict was unfavourable to it, he said.

''The construction of a temple at undisputed site is anybody's choice. But to indulge in the build-up of a temple in parts so near to the disputed site gives clearly the signal of an attempt to set up the temple at any cost only at the disputed site and nowhere else,'' the Left members said in a letter handed over to the President.

The Left members pointed out that the assurance of the prime minister in Parliament that construction of the Ram temple at the disputed site would only be done with judicial approval has little significance in view of the construction so close to the disputed area.

''We appeal to you (the President) to take steps to prevail upon the government to put a stop to these illegal construction works and protect the disputed site in Ayodhya,'' the letter said.

The letter said the VHP, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and the Bajrang Dal, which had taken upon themselves the responsibility of carrying on the construction of the Ram temple in parts, were pre-judging the Supreme Court verdict.

By anticipating a favourable court order, these organisations are ''guided by the political consideration of keeping the issue alive, whipping up passions among its hardcore support base and thus constantly putting pressure on the judiciary,'' the letter said.

The development is a matter of grave concern and is too dangerous to be overlooked by the country and the government, the President was told.

The President was also appraised of a visit to the site made last month by Left Front members where they found that parts for the temple were being fabricated at break-neck speed.

''The point is that when the court is seized with the issue of construction of the Ram temple at the disputed site called Ram Janambhoomi and judicial verdict is yet to be pronounced, why such work of a vigorous nature has to be undertaken,'' the letter said.

UNI

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