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VHP adamant on symbolic puja on March 15

"We are determined to go ahead with the puja on March 15," VHP general secretary Pravin Togadia told reporters in Delhi shortly after the All India Muslim Personal Law Board rejected Kanchi Shankaracharya Jayendra Saraswathi's proposal for a puja and construction of Ram temple in the undisputed land.

''There is no suit or case in court regarding the undisputed land. By interfering in this regard, Muslim organisations are trying to whip up sentiments," he said maintaining that there were only two parties - the government and the Ram Janambhoomi Trust.

Asserting that there was no change in VHP's plans, Togadia said that thousands of karsevaks would move to Ayodhya on March 15 and processions would be taken out throughout the country to mark the beginning of temple construction.

"The government must take notice of the Hindu movement," he said adding the authorities should create conditions for peaceful completion of the puja and respect the rights of the Hindu community.

On the stand taken by several political parties and groups that the VHP was not the sole representative of the Hindus, Togadia said the VHP had been asked to create mass awareness about the temple construction movement.

Meanwhile, Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas (trust) president Mahant Ramchandra Das Paramhans expressed unhappiness with only a 'symbolic' puja at the undisputed site, saying it was not in consonance with the numerous sacrifices made so far for construction of the Ram temple.

"It is not clear why 58 people had to sacrifice their lives for just a symbolic puja?" he told 'Aaj Tak'.

Earlier in the day, commenting on Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's statement that the Supreme Court will decide whether or not to allow the symbolic puja on Friday, Togadia said, "Efforts by the government or the Muslims to stop the ceremony will go against our religious beliefs."

Asked whether they would go ahead with the puja, even if the Supreme Court stops them from performing the ceremony, Togadia told 'Aaj Tak', "We have the democratic right to agitate peacefully as per the rights enshrined in the Constitution."

"We will only say this - the puja will be performed on March 15," he added.

PTI

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