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Shila daan performed in Ayodhya
Sponsors of Ram temple movement on Friday performed a symbolic religious ceremony to donate two carved stones for their proposed temple in Ayodhya to a special envoy of Prime Minister. Police lathicharge Kar sevaks Babri committee applauds VHP
Sponsors of Ram temple movement on Friday performed a symbolic religious ceremony to donate two carved stones for their proposed temple in Ayodhya to a special envoy of Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in a peaceful but anti-climax end to their year-long programme.
Amidst unprecedented security and chanting of `Jai Sri Ram` by a couple of hundred Ram bhakts, the `shila daan` was performed by Ram Janambhoomi Nyas president Ramchandra Das Paramhans, who handed over the two carved stones to Shatrughan Singh, in charge of the Ayodhya cell in the Prime Minister`s Office.
In a last minute change of programme, the handing over of the two stones was done after a brief puja at Digambar Akhara, the residence of Paramhans, more than a kilometre away from the acquired land near the disputed site and half a km away from the originally planned spot at Ramkot Mohalla. The first stone was given to Singh, who flew in from Delhi shortly before the ceremony which was held an hour and fifteen minutes behind the scheduled auspicious time at 2.15 pm.
Shortly later vhp said the handing over of the stones to a Central government official indicated the government`s acceptance in principle of construction of a Ram temple in the disputed land.
Paramhans refused to give the stones to Faizabad divisional commissioner A K Gupta and had demanded that the Prime Minister send a special emissary. The idea of giving the second stone was even dropped but angry Ram bhakts forced VHP leader Ashok Singhal to accept their demand that the second stone be also handed over.
With the Supreme Court banning any religious activity on the acquired land weighing heavily on both the administration and the temple protagonists, hectic negotiations continued till the last minute.
Bureau Report
In a last minute change of programme, the handing over of the two stones was done after a brief puja at Digambar Akhara, the residence of Paramhans, more than a kilometre away from the acquired land near the disputed site and half a km away from the originally planned spot at Ramkot Mohalla. The first stone was given to Singh, who flew in from Delhi shortly before the ceremony which was held an hour and fifteen minutes behind the scheduled auspicious time at 2.15 pm.
Shortly later vhp said the handing over of the stones to a Central government official indicated the government`s acceptance in principle of construction of a Ram temple in the disputed land.
Paramhans refused to give the stones to Faizabad divisional commissioner A K Gupta and had demanded that the Prime Minister send a special emissary. The idea of giving the second stone was even dropped but angry Ram bhakts forced VHP leader Ashok Singhal to accept their demand that the second stone be also handed over.
With the Supreme Court banning any religious activity on the acquired land weighing heavily on both the administration and the temple protagonists, hectic negotiations continued till the last minute.
Bureau Report