The Hindu : 'VHP ready to confront Centre on Ayodhya'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Dec 30, 2002

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'VHP ready to confront Centre on Ayodhya'

Pune Dec. 29. The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) today said it would, if necessary, go for a showdown with the Centre on the issue of temple construction in Ayodhya and said it would fully abide by the decision of Hindu `sants'.

The VHP vice-president, Acharya Giriraj Kishore, said the meeting of the VHP's governing council and board of trustees might take a "hard decision" on Ayodhya. "Whatever the sants decide, we will certainly execute that."

Its international working president, Ashok Singhal, said, "If the situation arises for a confrontation, we will go for it." If the sants take a decision, "it is the full responsibility of the Government (to hand over the land for temple construction in Ayodhya) because we have given time to the Government."

His remarks came a day after the VHP asked the Centre to hand over the disputed temple site in Ayodhya to the Ram Janambhoomi Trust before February-end.

The VHP also admitted that the good social service done by missionaries in the tribal areas had encouraged them to embrace Christianity. "We had neglected our brethren in the tribal areas for long," the VHP joint general secretary, Shyam Gupta, admitted while briefing presspersons.

PTI, UNI

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