Search the Internet          Tips

VHP to go ahead with puja in Ayodhya

Basharat Peer in Ayodhya

Vishwa Hindu Parishad working president Ashok Singhal and Ram Janambhoomi Nyas president Paramhans Ramchandra Das told a joint press conference on Wednesday that they would go ahead with their programme for a puja in Ayodhya.

"It will be a three-hour-long puja. It will be a full-fledged puja, consisting of bhoomi puja and shila puja," Singhal said.

Singhal said the venue of the puja would be decided at a meeting of the Ram Mandir Reconstruction Committee of the Nyas on Thursday.

Describing the Supreme Court's decision earlier in the day as "favourable", Singhal told reporters that the court had only forbidden them from conducting puja on plots 159 and 160 of the acquired land. "The court order will be respected," he insisted. "We had anyway not planned the puja on those two plots. We will contact the Faizabad commissioner in this regard."

Singhal implied that the ball was back in the central government's court when he said, "The land is under the government's control and the government has to decide whether to allow us to perform the puja. There are no orders from the court stopping us from puja on the undisputed land."

Paramhans said, "The Supreme Court decision is not against us. Our puja is being stopped not by the court, but by the government. Instead, the government should allow the karsevaks to come and join the yagna."

He said the sants of the VHP would decide what to do if the government prevented the puja.

Asked if he would donate a shila [carved stone] to the pujaris or the Faizabad divisional commissioner, Paramhans hinted that he might just hand it over to the latter. "Pujaris have take enough donation," he quipped.

Singhal said VHP representatives are getting in touch with the central government regarding the grant of permission for the puja. Giving details of the programme, he said some 2,000 volunteers would take part, most of them residents of Ayodhya.

"Fifty Vedic scholars from Benaras and Ayodhya will perform the puja at a place where the court has not forbidden it," Singhal added.

Asked what would happen if the Centre refuses permission for the puja, Paramhans said, "In that case the sants will take a decision." Singhal, however, said that if the government stopped the VHP, they would court arrest.

But both Singhal and Paramhans insisted the puja would be a peaceful affair. "It is a part of the Hindu tradition to be tolerant and peaceful and our puja programme will also be peaceful."

The Ayodhya Issue: Complete Coverage

Back to top

Tell us what you think of this report