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Court cannot resolve Ayodhya issue,
M M Joshi tells Liberhan

Appearing for the first time as a witness before the Liberhan Ayodhya Commission, probing the sequence of events leading to the demolition of the disputed structure in December 1992, Joshi said his party had passed a resolution in 1989 suggesting that the "Ram Janamsthan should be handed over to the Hindus either through negotiation or through legislation".

Quoting his party's white paper, Joshi said, "A court of law cannot resolve such an issue whether Babar had invaded Ayodhya, destroyed a temple and thereafter built a mosque. Even if it decides, it cannot remedy the grievance".

Describing it as a dispute between Muslims and Hindu saints, he said the BJP appreciated those who had tried to solve this issue through negotiated settlement.

Answering questions put up by commission counsel Anupam Gupta, he sought to explain that the BJP and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad were different organisations but that 'there may be a point where they agree in the larger interest of the country'.

"The BJP is a political party and VHP is an organisation for international co-operation among Hindus," Joshi said, explaining the relationship between the two organisations.

On the BJP's interaction with the VHP, he said, "A political party interacts with everyone. Any organisation can come to us."

Joshi, who is one of the accused facing charges of criminal conspiracy in the demolition, also explained that the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh was a cultural organisation and his involvement with it was owing to his 'patriotism'.

The BJP, RSS and VHP had been accused of mobilising forces, which had demolished the disputed structure on December 6, 1992.

PTI

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