Author: J. Venkatesan
Publication: The Hindu
Date: June 6, 2003
URL: http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/2003/06/06/stories/2003060604661100.htm
The Centre today maintained before
the Justice Liberhan Commission that the V.P. Singh Government issued an
ordinance on October 19, 1990, by which the disputed structure and the
land around it were acquired for handing it over to the VHP.
Continuing arguments relating to
the `undisputed' facts, senior counsel for the Union Government, Lala Ram
Gupta, assisted by Bhupender Yadav, told the Commission that the ordinance
was withdrawn by Mr. Singh on October 21, 1990, as it was vehemently opposed
by Muslim leaders and imams, and the then Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister,
Mulayam Singh Yadav, had threatened that he would not allow the ordinance
to be implemented.
Tracing the role played by the then
Prime Minister, V.P. Singh, counsel said that in February 1990, he called
the leaders of the Ayodhya movement to find ways for a peaceful solution.
He sought four months' time, saying that he would bring about a peaceful
settlement.
After the lapse of the four-month
period, "sants" met at Haridwar and decided that `kar seva' for construction
of Ram temple would start on October 30, 1990. In August 1990, L.K. Advani
made an offer to the Muslim leaders that he would impress upon the VHP
to drop their plans for construction of temples on the sacred sites in
Mathura and Varanasi if Muslim leaders voluntarily withdrew their claim
over the Ram Janmabhoomi and allowed construction of Ram temple. But the
offer was rejected.
Subsequently, Mr. Advani undertook
the "rath yatra" from Somnath to Ayodhya, but he was arrested on October
23 in Bihar at the instance of Mr. Singh, who announced in the Cabinet
that his talks for a peaceful solution had broken down.
The `undisputed facts' mentioned
as to how Mr. Yadav prevented performance of `kar seva' and deployed security
forces to block entry or access from various points from where people could
enter U.P. from other States.
All trains were cancelled at Faizabad,
preventive arrests were made throughout the State and temporary jails were
established at various places.
As a result, `kar sevaks' were identified
at far-flung places and not allowed to congregate in Ayodhya. This was
a major policy decision taken by the Yadav Government.
Further arguments will continue
tomorrow.
