Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on Tuesday, asserted that Ayodhya was a Movement and appealed to the opposition parties not to politicise the issue for electoral gains as it would only divide the country “Let Ayodhya not divide us,” he said, assuring the opposition, that the government would abide fully by the verdict of the Supreme Court on the issue. Vajpayee made it clear that NDA government was committed to the national agenda of governance, which had kept out such contentious issues and rejected once again the demand for resignation of three charge-sheeted ministers in the Ayodhya demolition case. On the demand for resignation of three ministers, L K Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi and Uma Bharati, Vajpayee said that if anybody was implicated in a court case, he should resign but in case of Ayodhya, there is a difference. “Ayodhya case should be differentiated,” Vajpayee said, adding that he was willing to sit with opposition to evolve parameters for ministers to resign on the question of propriety. Denying that he had ever made a statement that the Ram temple be constructed at the disputed site at Ayodhya, Vajpayee said that he also never supported the demolition of the Babri Masjid.
“Neither when the structure was demolished on Dec six, 1992, nor any time afterwards did I ever favour the demolition,” he said, adding, “I have always criticised the incident (demolition).” Vajpayee renewed his appeal to Hindu and Muslim communities to come for a dialogue to find a solution to this contentious issue. Bureau Report