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The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) has threatened to start a 'satyagraha' (non-violent protest) in case the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government fails to hand over at least the 2.77 acre 'undisputed' land for the construction of a Ram temple in Ayodhya (Uttar Pradesh), latest by March 12.
The fundamentalist outfit, which has been spearheading the Ayodhya movement for a long time, was not willing to defer its deadline even in the event of war with Pakistan.
Talking to mediapersons in Lucknow on Saturday, VHP joint general secretary Acharya Giriraj Kishore ruled out the question of any deviation in their plans.
"We had chalked out our programme during the 'Kumbh mela' at Allahabad and we will go ahead with the same," he insisted.
"This 2.77 acre land belongs to us. Since we had refused compensation when it was acquired by the central government, we still have a legitimate claim to it," Kishore said.
"We will construct the temple on this land," he said.
The land happens to be just outside the precincts of the mosque, which was pulled down by violent Hindu mobs on December six, 1992.
The VHP leader also refused to hand over the remaining land in the vicinity for the construction of a mosque. "A mosque in such close proximity to a temple would be a constant source of communal tension," he said.
Asked why the VHP was not prepared to postpone its plans even in the event of war, he countered with, "If elections can be held now, why can't we go ahead with our temple plans?"
"Saints from different corners of the country would assemble in Ayodhya on January 20 to reiterate their resolve to construct the Ram temple. A huge rally has been planned in Delhi on January 26," he said.
Kishore said that the saints would march to Delhi and that along the way, they plan to hold rallies in important cities like Lucknow, Kanpur and Allahabad.
"After the January 26 rally, we will seek an appointment with the prime minister to formally present out demand for handing over of the said land and removal of all hurdles in the path of the construction of the temple," Kishore said.
This would be followed by a meeting of the VHP's steering committee on January 28.
"Thereafter, saints would start converging on Ayodhya for the March 12 programme," the VHP leader claimed.
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