Kanchi Shankaracharya Jayendra Saraswati’s three-pronged strategy to resolve the Ayodhya dispute seems to have hit a major roadblock in the form of the ASI as it ruled out the possibility of opening ‘‘protected Islamic monuments’’ for worship.Even before the VHP objected to the idea of opening protected monuments for Muslims in exchange for a settlement of the Ayodhya dispute, ASI made it clear that it cannot lift restrictions on any protected monument for offering prayers.‘‘It would require several legislations by Parliament before any such move is made. Under our present heritage laws, there is no scope for opening up enlisted protected monuments for religious purposes,’’ a senior ASI official said.The ASI is walking a tight-rope on the Ayodhya excavation and the possibility of a settlement where it has to willy-nilly play a role. Sources said it was made known to the interlocutors last week that ‘‘it (ASI) cannot legally be part of a deal to open up the protected monuments for religious use. It is a vast issue which does not allow for a blanket decision of this nature’’.This, however, is not the only roadblock to a negotiated settlement of the 50-year-old dispute.Sources said the Kanchi Shankaracharya during his meetings with RSS chief K.S. Sudershan, VHP president Ashok Singhal and HRD Minister Murli Manohar Joshi (the PM-nominated negotiator with the VHP) had indicated that leaders of the Muslim community were willing to come to the table, provided they were willing to give up the Kashi-Mathura demand.‘‘Neither Sudershanji nor Ashok Singhal were willing to commit on this issue,’’ the sources said. IUML denies knowledge of Seer’s offer BANGALORE: No concrete proposal has been made to Muslim leaders by Kanchi Shankaracharya Jayendra Saraswati to arrive at an honourable settlement on the Babri Masjid issue, Indian Union Muslim League general secretary E. Ahamed said on Friday. Ahamed, also an MP, said the party was not against construction of a Ram temple in Ayodhya, but it should not be at the site where the Babri Masjid was located. Trishul diksha not to be allowed: Patnaik BHUBANESWAR: Reacting to the VHP’s proposed Trishul Diksha programme in the state, Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik announced on Thursday that that no one will be allowed to disturb the secular harmony and peace in Orissa. Ban communal organisations: Puri Shankaracharya SRINAGAR: The Shankaracharya of Puri on Friday demanded a legislation to ban organisations which ‘‘vitiate’’ the atmosphere and spread ‘‘communal hatred’’ in the country and said he stood by a joint declaration signed by him and Muslim leaders last year, which said the verdict of the Supreme Court on Ayodhya would be binding on Hindus and Muslims. (ENS & Agencies)
