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| Wednesday, 7 April 2004 |
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Advani to pray at disputed mosque ruins following firebrand Ayodhya speech AYODHYA, India, Tuesday (AFP) Deputy Prime Minister Lal Krishna Advani was due to pray at a makeshift Hindu temple erected on the hotly-disputed ruins of a mosque in the volatile north Indian town of Ayodhya, following a firebrand speech. He had arrived in Ayodhya Monday evening, when he promised a Hindu temple would be built on the site to rapturous applause and cheering from thousands of Hindu supporters who had gathered there. "If god's blessing is there, once again Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee will be sworn into power. After the new government is elected, a Ram (Hindu god) temple will be built at Ayodhya," Advani had said Monday. Up to an estimated 7,000 people turned out to listen to Advani when he reached Ayodhya on the second leg of his cross-country campaign roadshow for the coming parliament polls starting on April 20. "Under Mr Vajpayee's leadership, I have seen such changes in Indian society that I am convinced that a Ram temple will be built in Ayodhya without any bitterness or discord and this issue will become an instrument of unity between Hindus and Muslims," he said. Ayodhya is the seat of one of the most raging and violent controversies in India. Here, the 16th century Babri mosque built by Mughul King Babur was demolished by thousands of Hindu zealots on December 6, 1992. The demolition marked the culmination of a virulent campaign led by India's ruling Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), of which Advani is a mascot. Advani was present on the day of the demolition and was only recently acquitted of conspiracy charges in a criminal case that followed. Since the demolition, which led to nationwide riots and thousands of deaths, the issue has remained embroiled in courts. "Every time I have done a roadshow, I have come to Ayodhya because it is close to my heart," the hardline Hindu leader said to another round of applause. "I consider today as the most significant day of my journey." Further, in an interview to BBC World's Asia Today programme to be telecast Tuesday, Advani said the demolition had hurt him "tremendously". "What happened in December 1992 should never have happened ... I was so upset with the demolition of the mosque that I left Ayodhya immediately ... I even sent a letter of resignation (as leader of the opposition) to the (parliament) Speaker... It (the demolition) hurt me tremendously," Advani was quoted by the BBC as saying. But he added: "I believe the Ayodhya issue will finally be an integrating issue between Muslims and Hindus in the country." Advani denied that the Ayodhya issue would be a stumbling block for him personally should opportunity arise for him to become prime minister. Asked whether he would have been the prime minister by now but for the Ayodhya demolition, he said: "Thats not the issue. The BJP would have got a clear majority by now if it was not for Ayodhya." The BJP currently leads a coalition of nearly two dozen parties. |
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