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VHP slams SC move to delay Ayodhya verdict

September 23, 2010 22:59 IST
Expressing disappointment at the decision of the Supreme Court to stay Friday's verdict of the Allahabad High Court on the Ayodhya title suit, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad ruled out conciliation as a means to resolve the dispute.

"Moves of conciliation are unacceptable to all the parties involved...previous meetings to resolve the issue through talks have remained futile. The option of talks is not open so far," VHP president Ashok Singhal said in New Delhi.

Singhal said the delay in pronouncement of the verdict on the 60-year-old case was a "mockery" with the feelings of the people.

He said a meeting of 45-member Sant Ucchadhikar Samiti (sants' high-powered committee) will be held in Delhi on Friday and an agitational programme could be finalised against the backdrop of SC ruling.

The saints were to meet on Friday to discuss the verdict of the special bench of the high court. But since the Supreme Court has stayed the pronouncement of the verdict, they will discuss the emerging situation after the latest developments.

Questioning the reason behind staying the verdict of the special bench, Singhal said "a non-entity, insignificant person like Ramesh Chand Tripathi managed a stay when the nine major parties in the title suit are against conciliation...it is an effort to postpone things."

He claimed that "big powers" were behind Tripathi who helped him get a stay. While refusing to name the big powers, Singhal said the move will go against them. On being pressed to specify who he was referring to, he said it was upto the people to decide.

Admitting that VHP had not anticipated the development, Singhal, who was flanked by organisation's general secretary Pravin Togadia, said while Supreme Court had asked the high court to expedite the proceedings, the apex court has gone back on its directives by staying the verdict.

"Justice delayed is justice denied...the judges know that," he said expressing concerns about the fate of the verdict as one of the judges in the special bench is to retire on October 1.

 He said one of the aggrieved parties would have approached the Supreme Court after the title suit verdict. "The Supreme Court could have then invited parties for conciliation," he said.

Meanwhile, in a statement issued in Allahabad by VHP spokesman Prakash Sharma, the outfit claimed that Hindu sentiments have been "badly hurt" by the postponement. It also claimed that the Supreme Court stay has "vindicated" the outfit's stand that the dispute could be solved only by facilitating construction of a Ram temple through an Act of Parliament.

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