Proof of Ram Temple at Ayodhya

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Subject :

Proof of Ram Temple at Ayodhya: Report

 

Date :

Wed, 26 Feb 2003 00:03:46 +0000

 

Title: Singhal claims proof of Ram temple at Ayodhya

Author: Onkar Singh in New Delhi

Publication:Rediff.com

February 21, 2003 20:11 IST

 

Ashok Singhal, international working president of the Vishwa Hindu

Parishad, declared on Friday that a laser survey done by two foreign

companies had established the existence of an ancient Ram temple at

the

disputed site in Ayodhya.

 

Singhal was addressing reporters in New Delhi at the end of the first

session of informal discussions by 150 sants from various parts of

the

country.

 

"This survey was ordered by the honourable Allahabad high court,"

Singhal

said. "After the Archaeological Survey of India expressed its

inability to

carry out excavations at the disputed site, the high court asked a

foreign

firm to do the work. Japanese and Canadian experts were called in to

do

this job. They conducted a laser survey and filed their report."

 

Singhal said the report clearly mentions that a temple existed at the

disputed site. "Copies of the report have been made available to 26

parties to the dispute," he said. "One such copy lies with the

Government

of India as well."

 

Singhal denied that the VHP's dharam sansad (religious parliament) is

in

confrontation with the Supreme Court. "We are in confrontation with

the

Government of India, which, according to the 1994 Supreme Court

verdict,

was supposed to hand over 67 acres of undisputed land to the VHP for

construction of the Ram Mandir," he said.

 

Asked about the options before the dharam sansad, Singhal said the

sants

are debating various options and a final decision will be announced

at a

public meeting in New Delhi on February 22 or 23. "Some of the issues

before us include resorting to satyagraha, sitting on dharnas,

holding

public awareness rallies in the entire country, etc," he said.

 

Mahant Avaidyanath, a former member of Parliament, said the sadhu

samaj

(brotherhood of ascetics) is upset with the Government of India and

has

threatened that this dharam sansad could be the last of its kind.

 

"There is anger and resentment in the sant samaj. We expect the

Government

of India to hand over the undisputed land to us forthwith for

construction

of the Ram mandir," Avaidyanath told reporters.

 

Singhal claimed that the ASI had conducted an excavation at the site

in

1978 under the supervision of B B Lal and recovered some pillars of

an

ancient temple. A report of this is with the Allahabad high court, he

added.

 

Asked if the VHP would wait and see what happens during the hearing

of the

matter by a five-judge bench of the Supreme Court, Singhal said the

VHP

was not in the court. "The Government of India is in the court and

they

would have to see what happens," he said.

 

Singhal refused to give a clear answer when asked if he could give a

date

for the temple construction work to begin. "We would announce this at

the

Ram Lila Grounds on February 22 and 23," he said.