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Parliament free to enact Somnath-like legislation on Ayodhya, says Kalyan

Sharat Pradhan in Lucknow

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Kalyan Singh hinted that his party might consider a special legislation to build the proposed Ram temple at the disputed site in Ayodhya if all other options fail.

Answering a barrage of questions at a press conference Kalyan Singh said he did not deny that some leaders have been considering a special legislation. But such an enactment had to be first passed by Parliament and then duly approved by the President. "Even thereafter, if anyone has any reservations about it, he is free to seek judicial review.

"We are committed to upholding the judiciary's verdict in the Ayodhya case and both Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Home Minister L K Advani have repeatedly taken this stand."

He cited the clearance given to the legislation passed to allow reconstruction of the Somnath temple in Gujarat. Even Mahatma Gandhi gave his formal nod to the plan, he said.

However if his party too had made up its mind to repeat a Somnath in Ayodhya, he shot back, "I am only talking academically... I wish to simply point out is that Parliament has the power to enact a law..."

Kalyan Singh charged the Opposition of "blowing the Ayodhya issue out of proportion, solely to serve their political interest."

The UP chief minister remarked, "It is quite apparent that the Opposition parties have been jittery about the BJP's increasing popularity, more so because of the party's improving rapport with the minorities."

According to him, many Muslim leaders had told him how they had been misguided about the BJP and that they had more peace under a BJP-led government in Uttar Pradesh.

He went on to cite the way the BJP had resolved the issue of Muslim religious processions in Lucknow.

"By lifting the 21-year-old ban on these processions, we have proved our sincerity to their cause," he said, pointing out that there has been no riots in the nine months of his party's rule in Uttar Pradesh.

The chief minister felt that the Opposition was now just trying to finding ways to vitiate the atmosphere. And the only way they could do that was by raking up the Ayodhya issue, he said.

Referring to the cutting and carving of stones in a VHP-run workshop in Ayodhya, Kalyan Singh said it was not unlawful activity and so no restriction could be imposed on it. He pointed out that the work began in 1989-90 when P V Narasimha Rao was the prime minister, and no prime minister thereafter, including Deve Gowda and I K Gujral, found anything wrong with it. Even when Mulayam Singh Yadav and Mayawati were chief ministers and during long stints of President's rule, no action had been taken, possibly because they knew such activity could not be prevented by the law.

It was only now that attention was being suddenly focused on Ayodhya, he said, putting down the resurgence of the issue to political factors.

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