Flatly rejecting the September 30 order of the three-judge special bench of Allahabad High Court, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad on Wednesday demanded not only the disputed Ram JanmbhoomiBabri Masjid plot of land, but the entire 67 acres of surrounding the structure acquired by the Union government, be handed over to them.
"We are not ready to part with any bit of land in or around the disputed Ayodhya site, where we wish to erect a grand temple to mark the birthplace of Lord Ram", VHP supremo Ashok Singhal told a press conference in Lucknow on Wednesday afternoon.
Singhal also ruled out allowing construction of a mosque in any corner of the entire acquired land, "If Muslims wish to build a mosque, let them do it outside the limits of the acquired land."
He was speaking after chairing a day-long meeting of the VHP's central committee of seers, who debated the high court verdict.
Claiming that 45 acres of the acquired land actually belonged to the Ram Janmbhoomi Nyas (Trust), Singhal said, "I see no reason why the central government cannot make a smooth transfer of the 45 acres of acquired land back to its original owner, the Ram Janmbhoomi Nyas."He said, the remaining acquired land too could be formally given to the Nyas for construction of the proposed Ram temple."
Singhal proposes to lead a delegation of Hindu seers to meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh with a formal request in this regard. "I will take a delegation to the prime minister and urge him to hand over the entire 70 acres acquired by the central government way back in the nineties after the removal of the disputed structure (read mosque).
The VHP is not a direct party to the court case, but chose to throw all its weight behind the Ram Lalla Virajmaan, to whom the HC had given one-third
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