Reminding the media of its responsibility, Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav made a fervent appeal not to hype up the Ayodhya issue which had the capacity to singe the nation and divide the society on religious lines.
“The Ayodhya issue is sub judice and the media should show restraint while reporting it. The media carries the responsibility of maintaining communal peace and not to report issues which have the potential to divide society on communal lines,” Yadav said while talking to reporters in Shrawasti in east UP.
“The Samajwadi Party has always defeated communal forces. The UP government will work as per the law and demand of the Constitution. We will not allow communal forces to use Ayodhya to drive a wedge in the society,” he warned.
When reporters asked him about the stones being brought to Ayodhya for the construction of Ram temple, the CM urged the media to be more responsible.
Earlier in the day, the Chief Minister held a meeting in lucknow with senior officials, including Principal Secretary (Home), DGP, ADG (law and order), ADG (Intelligence), DM and SSP of Faizabad to take stock of the situation after reports of ‘shila pujan’ in Ayodhya came in. “The orders of the court regarding Ram Janmabhoomi will be implemented in letter and spirit. No one will be allowed to disturb communal peace,” he said.
With the government taking a tough stand, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) did a volte-face claiming that the transportation of stones into Ayodhya was not new. VHP spokesperson Sharad Sharma said that there was nothing new on stones reaching Ram temple at Karsevekpuram. “The stones are coming regularly since September 1990 and it is very unfortunate that much hype is being attached to it now,” he said.
Sharma added that everyone knew that the construction of a grand Ram temple could not be done in a day. “The stones are brought here after which artisans carve different patterns so that it can be used when the time comes,” he said.
Earlier on Sunday, two trucks laden with 35 tonnes of pink sandstone reached Ayodhya from Bharatpur in Rajasthan. Sharma said the supply of stones was halted and work slowed down because mining was stopped in Rajasthan in 2007.
Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas head Nritya Gopal Das and other VHP leaders denied any role of the Centre in supplying stones. “Some Ram bhakts from Rajasthan and Gujarat have sent these stones to speed up the construction for the temple. There is no contribution from the Central government,” Das said.