ASSEMBLY POLL '98
COMMENTARY
SPECIALS
INTERVIEWS
CAPITAL BUZZ
REDIFF POLL
DEAR REDIFF
THE STATES
YEH HAI INDIA!
ELECTIONS '98
ARCHIVES

Ayodhya issue closed for the time being: BJP chief

Bharatiya Janata Party president Kushabhau Thakre today announced that the Ram mandir issue was closed for the time being so far as the coalition government and the party were concerned.

Talking to the media in Rajkot, the BJP president said as there was a coalition government at the Centre, it had no option but to follow the national agenda for governance and Ram mandir did not fall within this agenda. He, however, refused to say if the party would once again rake up the mandir issue in case of a mid-term poll.

Speaking about Dangs and attack on Christians, the BJP president termed it as "unfortunate" and an "international conspiracy" to destablise the country and the coalition government in particular.

According to Thakre, most of the Western world felt threatened by the steps taken by the A B vajpayee government and just to halt the forward march the attack on Christians was blown out of proportion.

UNI

Tell us what you think of this report