RSS prefers out of court settlement on Ayodhya: Spokesperson
By George Joseph, IANSFriday, October 8, 2010
NEW DELHI - The Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) will prefer an out of court settlement in the Ramjanmabhumi-Babri Masjid dispute in the light of the recent Allahabad High Court judgment, RSS spokesperson Ram Madhav said Friday.
“Of course, we will prefer an out of court settlement. The court has upheld the main contention of the Hindu litigants, that the site is the birth place of Lord Ram,” Madhav told IANS here.
Asked whether attempts have begun for an out of court settlement by the RSS or other parties, Madhav said it was premature to comment.
“Now, all parties are studying the voluminous verdict. It is too early to say anything,” he added.
“Our chief (RSS sarvsangh chalak Mohan Bhagwat) had said that we would welcome a settlement. There are some feelers, but it is premature to comment upon the developments,” Madhav said.
According to him, with the judgment, the movement for construction of a temple at the disputed site in Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh has found judicial acceptance now.
On Sep 30, a three-member Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court, in a unanimous verdict, said that the site where the Ram idols were placed in Ayodhya was the birthplace of Hindu god Ram.
In a majority judgment, the court further ordered the division of the disputed site into three equal parts among the litigants - two Hindu litigant parties and the rival Sunni Wakf Board.
The Wakf Board, which had filed a title suit for the site in 1961, has said that it will appeal in the Supreme Court against the high court judgment.
The RSS - a hardline cadre-based Hindu organisation - had been in the forefront of the Ram Mandir movement to claim the disputed site where the Babri Masjid stood till 1992, and build a temple there.
Activists of Hindu radical groups demolished the 16th century mosque on Dec 6, 1992, claiming it was built after razing a Hindu temple there. The mosque razing triggered countrywide riots in which more than 2,000 people were killed.
(George Joseph can be contacted at george.j@ians.in)
