Dharma Sansad today, VHP to revive movement

The reference to the larger bench is in keeping with a direction made by the court in its March 2002 interim order passed on Bhure’s petition in the run-up to the Shila Puja threatened to be performed then by the VHP on the 67-acre acquired land in Ayodhya.

The Government’s recent application urged the court to vacate the interim order which banned all religious activity on the acquired land and barred handing over any part of it to anybody.

But it was Singhal’s disclosure of the laser survey findings which led to the buzz that Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee was apparently aware of it and had, therefore, spoken of evidence to prove the existence of an ancient temple at the dispute site.

Singhal told mediapersons that the survey revealed the underground existence of an ancient temple, complete with pillars, at the site. These were identical to the pillars and other finds excavated from the site by historian B B Lal in 1978.

According to Singhal, the survey report was made available to the court on February 15 and distributed among 26 parties.

He declared that this dharma sansad would be the final one on the issue of temple construction at Ayodhya. ‘‘It may take some unprecedented decisions.’’ He said some 10,000 religious leaders from across the country and Nepal were expected to participate.

Retorting angrily to a remark that the VHP only talked tough and did little, Singhal said: ‘‘You will see the tough talking and tough decision-making tomorrow.’’ But he ruled out any confrontation with the Supreme Court. The matter, he said, was between the Government and the VHP.

He claimed that the 1994 ruling on the return of the undisputed land at Ayodhya to its original owner was still valid and nothing prevented the government from returning the land to the VHP. ‘‘Not an inch of the undisputed land has been claimed by the minority community. It belongs to us and the government should hand it over to us for temple construction,’’ he said. On whether the VHP was ready to accept a court ruling not to its advantage, Singhal said, ‘‘we believe that in due course of time that land will also be ours.’’