Digvijay Singh favours negotiated settlement to Ayodhya dispute

NEW DELHI - Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh said Friday that “all right-thinking people” should work for a negotiated settlement to the Ayodhya dispute in the wake of the Allahabad High Court verdict.

“Not only the government, but all right thinking people should work for a negotiated settlement, Singh said here.

Answering queries, he said the party was willing to contribute to any efforts for a settlement.

Singh, who is party incharge of Uttar Pradesh, also said the crime of the demolition of Babri mosque had not been diluted by the verdict and all the guilty should be punished.

He said the Congress has maintained that the Ayodhya issue should not be linked with politics and added that the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) should not politicise the matter.

“I do not look at it politically. No one should do politics with such a sensitive issue. I do not see it in terms of political gains or losses.”

Noting that the party had always maintained that the dispute should be resolved through negotiations or court verdict should be accepted, he said there were three months for filing an appeal in the Supreme Court on the Allahabad High Court verdict and a negotiated settlement can be attempted in the period.

Answering queries, he said the response of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat on the verdict was better than that of BJP leader L.K. Advani.

He said people in the country had shown commendable sagacity, wisdom and patience in the wake of the verdict.