Advani should take up Ram Temple issue: VHP

The Vishwa Hindu Parishad on Tuesday accused the National Democratic Alliance government of working on a deal to abandon the Kashi and Mathura temple issues, urging Deputy Prime Minister Lal Kishenchand Advani to take up the Ram Temple issue.

Complete coverage of the Ram temple controversy

VHP international president Ashok Singhal alleged, "Andar hi andar soudebazi kar rahe hai ki Kashi aur Mathura ko tyag diya jayega our Ram Mandir ke bagal mein masjid banega (There is a secret deal to dump the Kashi and Mathura temple issue and construct a mosque next to the Ram Temple in Ayodhya)."

He alleged the VHP was kept in the dark and described it as 'humiliation to Hindu society'.

"If the government fails to get the legislation passed in Parliament it should resign and seek a fresh mandate," Singhal said.

"If without Vajpayee, Advani could take out a rath yatra why not he come forward this time?" Singhal asked.

"If BJP continued without fulfilling its promises then in the next elections the party could be reduced to two (1984 tally) once again," Singhal said.

Singhal said the Kanchi Shankaracharya had no knowledge about the deal.

"It was done in a very clandestine manner. Keeping us in dark, the Centre went ahead with the deal and we are not happy with that," he said.

Without mentioning the Bharatiya Janata Party, Singhal said a section of NDA had promised to remove all obstacles in the construction of the Ram temple, but had done nothing.

"Now they should pass a bill in Parliament like in the Shah Bano case to construct the Ram Mandir," he said.

On the excavation work in Ayodhya, the VHP leader accused the leftists of misguiding the nation by saying nothing had been found there.

The VHP also accused the Centre of attempting a 'deal' with Pakistan and proceeding to talk to its President Pervez Musharraf. "Fifty thousand people, who had traveled in the Samjhouta Express and the bus from Pakistan to India, have gone missing and still the Centre plans to start them," he said.

"No Hindu wants to go to that side. Then what is the necessity of a deal for the bus and train, which mainly bring terrorists," Singhal asked.