BJP TODAY

August 16--31, 2003 - Vol. 12, No. 16

Atalji and the debate in the Lok Sabha on his speech at Ayodhya
By Our special correspondent

It was only an Atal Bihari Vajpayee who could speak like this in Parliament. Visibly incensed at the allegation by Mulayam Singh Yadava that he had uttered words at the time of cremation of Paramhans Mahat Ramchandra Dasji on the banks of the Sarju declaring his intention to build the temple for Lord Rama, under pressure he said: "Mulayamsinghji, I never act under pressure. The day pressure will be applied on me I would rather leave the government and quit".

The opposition, bereft of other issues, has been harping on the Ram Jambabhoomi issue for pillorying the ruling party. In this effort, they made a grave mis-calculation. The accused Vajpayees of acting under pressure. They had forgotten that at the time of the Kargil War, when the Pakistani Premier Nawaz Sharief had gone to Washington, President Clinton had requested Atalji to visit Washington. Vajpayee had refused to go to Washington then, because that would not have been in national interest.

Atalji asked the opposition if they had read the full speech of his at the condolence meeting Shri Vajpayee did not specify how the temple would be built or where. He had said then -- and this is the stand of the Government and also of the BJP -- that either a court verdict or negotiations would resolve the Ayodhya issue. (The BJP National Executive resolution on Ram Janmabhoomi issue adopted at Raipur, published in BJP TODAY of August 1 issue, has made it clear).

Nevertheless, the Opposition goes on misleading the people with other baseless charges, which can best be ignored.