Report

Government Evasive on Ayodhya : Reddy

The AICC Chief Spokesman, Mr. Jaipal Reddy, issued the following statement on February, 27, 2002 on an all-Party meeting on Ayodhya issue

In the light of the disturbing developments taking place in Ayodhya where the VHP has announced a plan of action to build the Ram Temple, irrespective of the constraints laid down by the Supreme Court of India, the Congress president requested the Prime Minister to convene an all-Party meeting. The main intention behind this move was that the Congress party, according to its well-known commitment to maintain the secular polity in the country, wanted the government to take the opportunity of taking the leaders of all political parties into confidence, and assure the nation that nothing untoward or harmful to the country would take place.

It comes as a great disappointment to the Congress party and also to most of the leaders of political parties who attended the all-Party meeting in the evening of 26th February, 2002, when they found that neither the Prime Minister nor the Home Minister was prepared to give specific and meaningful commitments in this regard. The intentions of the VHP are loud and clear, and they will go to any extent in their effort to unauthorisedly build the temple after the 15th of March. The Congress party will continue to focus on this potentially dangerous situation and mobilize public opinion through Parliament of India to prevent the communalisation of the atmosphere in the country and violation of the law of the land.

Sonia Gandhi writes to PM on Gujarat

Mrs. Sonia Gandhi, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, sent the follwing communication to the Prime Minister, Mr. Atal Behari Vajpayee on March 4, 2002 :

Dear Prime Minister,

You will recall that in the meeting convened by you on March 1, 2002 to discuss the Gujarat situation, we had made a request that an all-Party delegation should be sent to the State to assess the situation. In another meeting I held today with the representatives of all Opposition Parties, the need for such a delegation to go to Gujarat was expressed strongly and unanimously. I am therefore, writing again to urge you to kindly arrange for an all-Party delegation to visit the affected areas of Gujarat at the earliest. I am sure you would like to give priority to this matter in view of the urgency and gravity of the situation.

With regards,

Yours sincerely

Sonia Gandhi

BJP’s Duplicity Condemned

A statement issued by the AICC on 13th March, 2002 :

The Congress party severely condemns the double speak and duplicity indulged in by the Government on the Ayodhya issue. It is evident from the glaring contradictions between the assurances given in Parliament by the Prime Minister and the pro-VHP line adopted by the Attorney General in the Supreme Court. The somersaults of the Government have taken not only the people of India and the Opposition parties but also the NDA partners by surprise.

The Congress party is determined to expose all these on the Floor of the House.

In view of the dubious track record of the Government, we express grave concern about the ability and willingness of the government to maintain public order and protect communal harmony. The Congress party however, earnestly appeals to all sections of our society to exercise utmost restrain and maintain peace during this sensitive phase.

Supreme Court order on Ayodhya : A Sigh of Relief

NEW DELHI : "We express our relief at the fact that the law of the land has eventually prevailed in Ayodhya. What happened on account of the order of the Supreme Court is a magnificent tribute to the resilience and the intrinsic strength of Indian democracy", said Mr. Jaipal Reddy, Chief Spokesperson of the Congress party, on March 15.

Mr. Reddy said that the Congress party was not opposed to the Shiladaan as the Shiladaan took place outside the acquired land but said that major irregularity has been committed in the process and the Congress party would like to lodge a serious objection to this fact. He said that the Shiladaan could easily have been performed by private citizens and leaders of religious organisations and why was a senior officer of the Ayodhya Cell of the Prime Minister’s Office was made to receive the Shila.

Mr. Jaipal Reddy on 18 March, 2002, said that the brutal attack on Orissa Assembly was universally detested and the Congress party too joined the nation in condemning this attack. He appealed to all right thinking persons to realize that this incident is a symptom of the disease and not the disease itself. The disease is the fundamentalist philosophy harboured by RSS.