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The Bharatiya Janata Party on Wednesday asked the Manmohan Singh government to seize the opportunity provided by the Allahabad High Court and become a party in the Ayodhya title suits to find an amicable solution to the vexed issue.
"If the Central government wants to establish communal harmony in the country, it has to become a party in the case," BJP vice-president Vinay Katiyar told media persons in Lucknow.
He said the BJP favoured construction of a Ram temple at Ayodhya in an harmonious environment.
On Tuesday, the Allahabad High Court invited counsel of all the parties to the dispute to find ways to resolve the 60-year-old issue through consensus.
Katiyar said the Centre should seize the chance given by the court and the Prime Minister should act immediately.
"The Centre should take an initiative and become a party in the title suits. It should file an affidavit in the high court that the issue could be sorted out through talks and request it to give more time."
Katiyar said the BJP believed a permanent solution to the lingering issue could only be found through talks.
"Some people have moved an application before the Court for deferment of the verdict. But, a few persons cannot represent the faith of crores of Hindus. Hence, the Centre should become a party in the case," Katiyar said.
"For us the Court's verdict will be supreme and we will abide by it. But whatever the decision, it will be ultimately challenged in the Supreme Court," he said.
"We do not want any dispute. We only want a grand Ram temple should be constructed in an harmonious atmosphere through talks," the BJP leader said.
Katiyar said the then NDA government had initiated the process to bring all parties to the dispute to the negotiating table to resolve the issue, but this failed to materialise.
He appealed to the Muslim community to clear the way for construction of a Ram temple.
"I will like to request Muslims to maintain harmony and clear the path for construction of the temple."