West Bengal parties refuse to comment on Ayodhya verdict

Indo-ASIAN NEWS SERVICE

KOLKATA - Political leaders in West Bengal Thursday appealed for peace and harmony and refrained from commenting on the Allahabad High Court\’s Ayodhya verdict.

West Bengals ruling Left Front partners said they would comment on the issue only after discussing it with party leaders and legal experts.

I wont comment on the verdict right now. First we will discuss about the verdict within our party and with legal experts, then we will comment on the issue,\” senior Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) leader Mohammad Salim told IANS.

\”But I would like to appeal that please maintain peace and harmony. We all want peace,\” he said.

The court Thursday ruled that the spot in Ayodhya where a makeshift temple was built hastily after razing the Babri Masjid in 1992 was indeed where Hindu god Ram was born, lawyers said.

The court declared that the land around the disputed site should be divided into three parts — one going to Hindus, another to Muslims and the third to Nirmohi Akhara, a Hindu sect and a litigant in the case.

I will just say please maintain peace and harmony. Every party involved in this case has the scope to go to the Supreme Court. I wont comment anything more on this issue right now, senior Forward Bloc leader Hafiz Alam Sairani told IANS.

The states principal opposition party Trinamool Congress decided to toe the line of its diehard enemy CPI-M and decided to comment on the issue only after discussion within the party.

We will speak on the issue after discussion within the party and not before that, said Trinamool Congress leader Partha Chatterjee.

Political analysts said that the judgment was on expected lines. The judgment given by the court was most expected, political analyst Sabyasachi Basu Roy Chowdhury told IANS.

The busy streets and crossings of the city wore a deserted look from Thursday morning. Many of those employed in offices chose to stay back at home and many schools decided to close earlier than scheduled time just hours before the courts judgment.

The people welcomed the decision and thanked the court for the balanced judgment.

We are very happy with this unbiased decision, which will not lead to any untoward incident, said Smritimoy Guha, a lawyer.

I am satisfied. This kind of decision will promote brotherhood and fraternity for future, said Pijush Gosh, a student.

Security in sensitive areas of West Bengal has been beefed up to prevent any untoward