Kalyan to visit Ayodhya ahead of verdict

With just 10 days left for the court verdict on Ayodhya title suits, political leader Kalyan Singh said he would visit the disputed site on September 16 to have "darshans" of Lord Ram and discuss with saints and VHP leaders the issue of building a temple there.

"On September 16, I along with Jankranti Party president Rajvir Singh and other partymen will visit Ayodhya to have darshans of "Ram Lala" and would also hold discussions with saints and VHP leaders over the issue of temple construction", the former BJP leader, who floated Jankranti Party after quitting the saffron outfit, told newspersons.

Singh, who was Uttar Pradesh chief minister when the disputed structure was pulled down in 1992, said there was no ban on "darshans" of Lord Ram in Ayodhya and not only him but all the Ram bhakts (devotees) wanting to go there should be allowed to do so.

"If required the administration should make arrangements for it. I am going there after making a proper announcement and the visit is for having darshan as a devotee", Singh said, adding that he was going there before the verdict as the situation post the court order on September 24 might be different.

"We hope that government would display wisdom and would not stop me from going there", the former BJP leader who floated the Jankranti Party after severing ties with the saffron outfit said adding that if stopped from proceeding to Ayodhya, he would make his future plans known.

Singh, who had a meeting with four VHP leaders, including its organisation secretary Dineshji, whom he described as "an old friend" earlier today, backed the Parishad line that the temple movement has been harmed by the BJP and the party should tender a public apology and also make amends for it.

On his meeting with the VHP leaders, the former Hindutva icon said he asked them to keep the temple movement away from the political parties as involvement of one party in it would hurt the aim of getting a legislation passed by parliament for paving the way for construction of the temple.

"It should remain a wider Hindu movement", he said.

"If a particular party is involved, the Hindu MPs of other parties, even if they want a legislation, would keep away", Singh said, adding that he would play his role in the movement as a "ram bhakt" and not as the leader of a political party.