The Congress on Saturday said it respected the verdict of the Supreme Court on the Ayodhya land dispute and asserted that it favoured the construction of a Ram temple .
A unanimous resolution adopted by Congress Working Committee (CWC) said: “We appeal to all parties concerned and all communities to abide by the secular values and spirit of fraternity enshrined in the Constitution and to maintain peace and harmony”.
“It is the responsibility of each one of us to reaffirm our tradition of mutual respect and unity among all that has defined our society through the ages,” the CWC resolution added.
Appeal for peace
Both the former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, who is expected to return to India on Sunday, as well his sister and party general secretary, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, took to Twitter to appeal for peace and social harmony.
“The Supreme Court has pronounced its verdict on the Ayodhya issue. While honouring this decision of the court, we all should maintain mutual harmony. This is a time for brotherhood, trust and love among us all Indians,” Mr. Gandhi in a tweet.
“Respecting the decisions, all parties, communities and citizens should maintain our age-old tradition of composite culture. We must all work to strengthen communal harmony and brotherhood,” Ms. Vadra said after the judgement.
Suspends agitation
The CWC also decided to suspend the party’s on-going 10-day nation-wide agitation programme against the economic policies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government in view of the restrictions imposed by various State governments.
Sources said though the CWC had deliberated upon the different scenarios including a split verdict, the Congress’ highest decision-making body noted with satisfaction that the top court’s verdict was unanimous.
“This gives a lot of credence to any judicial pronouncement,”said a senior CWC member.
Addressing a press conference, the party’s chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said the court verdict not only opened the doors for a Ram temple but permanently closed the option of doing politics over faith.
“The Indian National Congress is in favour of constructing a temple for Lord Ram,” Mr. Surjewala said in reply to a question. “Today’s decision has opened the doors for Ram temple construction, but it has also permanently closed the doors for BJP and others to enjoy power by playing politics with the country's faith,” he added.
Though Mr Surjewala claimed that the Supreme Court decision “cannot be matter of credit or discredit to any individual, group of people, communities or political parties”, he did remind that the entire land in the dispute was first acquired by the Congress government in 1993 through the Ayodhya Act.
Congress chief Sonia Gandhi had moved in quickly as soon as the news of the Ayodhya judgement broke and held an emergency meeting on Friday where it was decided to advance the CWC meeting scheduled for Sunday.
