The Hindu : Kanchi Acharya's efforts run into problems

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Jun 20, 2003

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Kanchi Acharya's efforts run into problems

By Neena Vyas

NEW DELHI JUNE 19. The Kanchi Sankaracharya, Sri Jayendra Saraswati's efforts at resolving the Ayodhya issue seems to have reached a dead-end.

The Vishwa Hindu Parishad, at least, has given up on the Acharya's efforts and Sri Jayendra Saraswati himself has been quoted as saying that "there is no formula.''

The VHP leaders today virtually served notice on the Bharatiya Janata Party — actively support construction of a Ram temple at the disputed Ayodhya site or face defeat in the coming elections.

Reports from Lucknow said that the VHP leader, Ashok Singhal, virtually threw a challenge at the BJP leaders to come out of Vajpayee's National Democratic Front Government if they supported the construction of a Ram temple in Ayodhya.

He was also quoted as having said that the VHP has "no working relationship with the BJP''. As for the so-called Kanchi Acharya's proposal for a settlement of the Ayodhya dispute, the VHP had rejected it several days ago.

While the AIMPLB had stated it was willing to meet and consider any Ayodhya `formula' of the Kanchi Acharya — a meeting of the sub-committee on Babri is scheduled to take place here on June 21 and 22 to discuss this — to this date no proposal has been received.

The AIMPLB sub-committee meeting, however, will take place. It will discuss the reports on the Ayodhya excavations ordered by the Lucknow High Court and the progress in the Liberhans Commission on the 1992 Babri Masjid demolition. "If the Kanchi seer's Ayodhya proposals had come, we would have discussed those also,'' the sub-committee convener, Q.S.R. Ilyas, said today.

It was on June 7, when the Kanchi Acharya had called on the chairman of the AIMPLB, Rabe Hasan Nadvi, that the subject of Ayodhya was broached. Apparently, the Acharya had indicated that he would send his proposals in writing within five days. Twelve days later, Maulana Nadvi and Mr. Ilyas are still waiting for the papers.

"I do not think there is any proposal; nothing will come,'' Mr. Ilyas said today.

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