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'Centre sold out', charges petitioner Bhure

Mohmmad Aslam Bhure, the petitioner whose Public Interest Litigation resulted in the Supreme Court, on March 13, banning all forms of puja on the acquired land in Ayodhya, is a disillusioned man today.

"I can't believe this!", he told rediff.com, minutes after Ram Janambhoomi Nyas president Ramchandra Das Paramhans carried out a scaled down version of the promised 'shila daan' in Ayodhya.

"How did it come about that Shatrughan Singh, the Central government's envoy and the man in-charge of the Ayodhya Cell in the PMO, received the 'shila' from Paramhans?", Bhure asked.

"This is a carefully crafted political game played by the Centre on the rest of us," the petitioner said. "The Centre ultimately played a double game on the nation."

Bhure's contention is that the 'shila' could, and should, have been accepted by either the Divisional Commissioner of Faizabad, or an envoy of the state government. "Here, the Central government in the person of its envoy has accepted the 'shila'. The 'shila daan' is supposed to be symbolic of the start of construction of the temple. The Centre has repeatedly said it would maintain status quo at the site, and go by the court's verdict. Now, by having its own envoy accept the 'shila', the Centre has sent out a contrary signal, and officially taken part in the puja," Bhure argues.

"Centre ke dono hatho main laddu hai" (The Centre has its cake and has eaten it too), Bhure added.

Bhure intends now to consult his lawyer with a view to finding out if the Centre's action amounts to contempt of court. "How can the Central government keep the land as a custodian, at the same time take part in the 'shila daan' ceremony, and now keep the 'shila' in Central custody?", he asked.

"What the Centre did today was to give a green signal for the construction of the temple," says Bhure, indicating that he intends to move the Supreme Court on the issue within the next couple of days.

Read also:The Mohammad Aslam Bhure interview

The Ayodhya Issue: Complete Coverage

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