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N Sathiya Moorthy in Chennai
The March 12 deadline set by the acharyas and the Dharma Sansad on the Ayodhya issue is only for the government to take a decision, Vishwa Hindu Parishad president Ashok Singhal said in Chennai on Wednesday.
"As for commencing construction at the disputed site, the sants would meet again and fix a date," he said.
This should come as a breather for the government. Once the assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh are over, the Centre may appeal to the Supreme Court to take up the Ayodhya cases. It is another matter if the VHP can be convinced to wait for the court order, as proposed by Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee when Singhal met him last fortnight.
Significantly, Singhal claimed that "courts cannot decide on the faith". "We have enough documentary evidence dating back to the 16th century to prove our claims on the Ayodhya site," he added. The VHP leader wanted the government to hand over the undisputed land in Ayodhya immediately.
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