SC order splits Sangh Parivar

The Supreme Court verdict on the undisputed land at Ayodhya has come as a dampener on the Sangh Parivar’s efforts to close its ranks. G...

The Supreme Court verdict on the undisputed land at Ayodhya has come as a dampener on the Sangh Parivar’s efforts to close its ranks.

Given their conflicting obligations, the Government and VHP will find it increasingly difficult to ‘‘project a unity of purpose’’, as decided by the RSS Pratinidhi Sabha at Nagpur last month.

While the VHP, in order to play to its own constituency, would press for the construction of the temple, the BJP, as the party in power, would be forced to uphold the court mandate to maintain a status quo at the undisputed and disputed lands at Ayodhya.

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Law Minister Arun Jaitley, whose return to the Cabinet was linked to the Government’s Ayodhya initiative, appeared resigned to its failure. ‘‘The Government will fully comply with the judgement,’’ he told journalists. ‘‘If the Supreme Court has said status quo is to be maintained at the undisputed site, then it is for the Government to comply with it.’’

However, the desperation in the VHP was evident. Parishad working president Ashok Singhal had of late toned down his rhetoric against the A.B. Vajpayee Government following RSS persuasion on one hand and a visible effort by it to restore the undisputed land to the Ramjanmabhoomi Nyas through its initiative in the Supreme Court on the other. Singhal was quick to proclaim: ‘‘We will resort to direct action. The verdict rules out any scope for a compromise. We will not rest till we get the entire land, including the disputed. The verdict is Ram’s blessing in disguise because He wants us to get the entire land, not a part of it.’’

Parishad vice-president Giriraj Kishore declared that the verdict had opened doors for a ‘‘direct fight with secularists’’. However, this would be through the next Lok Sabha polls when the VHP would work for the victory of pro-temple candidates so that they pass a legislation to transfer the land to the Nyas.

With its hopes to buy peace with the VHP dashed, the BJP said that it was ‘‘not good’’ to let the Ayodhya issue linger. Party president M. Venkaiah Naidu said that his party favoured an expeditious settlement of the issue.

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The RSS, as the peacemaker, obviously has a tough job at hand. Sangh spokesman Ram Madhav said: ‘‘We respect the judgement but we are disappointed. The undisputed and disputed land should have been treated as two separate issues and some decision should have been taken on the undisputed land. The verdict is a setback to efforts to resolve the issue.’’

Madhav suggested that the Government hold discussions with all parties and use its legislative powers after securing their support.