LUCKNOW, JANUARY 29: The entire state Opposition is outraged at Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Ram Prakash Gupta's remarks yesterday that he would allow construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya if it was done ``as peacefully'' as the Babri Masjid demolition. The BJP, however, has issued the customary denial.``Nothing surprising,'' says a senior BJP leader when asked to explain why Gupta seemed to be singing his own temple tune. ``If he cannot remember and recognise the ministers who are attached with him, there should be no element of surprise when he says that he was misquoted because actually he does not remember what he had said a few minutes earlier.''That defense may sound facetious but one thing is clear: here is a Chief Minister who is not taken seriously by his own party, his allies and also the bureaucrats. Several jokes on his remarks and his ``amnesia'' have become the only talking point in the corridors of power in Uttar Pradesh.This is the second time that the CM had to eat his own wordsspoken in full public view. A few months ago, Gupta had declared at Ayodhya that construction of the Ram Temple there might not be in the agenda of the Centre but it was on the state BJP's agenda and his government was committed to fulfill it.Back in Lucknow the next day, Gupta was at pains claiming that he was misquoted. Pulled up by the central leadership, he trotted out the official stand: ``The construction of the Ram temple at Ayodhya will not be possible unless the BJP doesn't get a majority at the Centre. Till the NDA is governing the Centre we will abide by its programme. And construction of the Ram Temple, abrogation of Article 370 and introduction of the Uniform Civil code were not part of the NDA agenda.''Today, once again, the state leaders were scrambling for cover. ``The BJP has already clarified that Guptaji has been misquoted. He is an able leader,'' said Union Surface Transport Minister Rajnath Singh.
