Controversy over UP govt letter on Ram temple

Govt downplays content as printing error

A letter by Uttar Pradesh’s home secretary, convening a meeting of top officials to discuss the "reconstruction" of a Ram temple at Ayodhya, has sparked a controversy, even as the government clarified that it was a printing error.

The letter, issued by Secretary (Home) Saresh Chandra Mishra, instructed the director general of police and other senior officials to attend a meeting on October 14 to discuss the issue.

"This letter is regarding parliamentary law by the Centre for reconstruction of the temple at Ram Janmabhoomi, on the lines of reconstruction of the Somnath temple," reads the subject of the letter.

The government, however, immediately clarified that the meeting was called with reference to Sankalp Diwas, called by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad on October 19 and that there was a misprint in the letter.

"The government clarifies that the meeting on Monday, organised by the home department, was to handle the situation of Sankalp Diwas. By mistake, the subject of the meeting was misprinted which was later corrected," a home department spokesman said.

‘Conspiracy of secular syndicate’

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday said the controversial UP government letter convening a meeting of top officials to discuss "reconstruction" of a Ram temple at Ayodhya was a conspiracy of the "Cong-SP-BSP secular syndicate" and that it would not help "such forces" in the 2014 general elections.

"The letter issued by the Home department regarding construction of temple on Ram Janmabhoomi is a conspiracy of secular syndicate of Congress, Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party," BJP national Vice-President Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said over phone.

"Such a conspiracy will not help to avoid a white-wash of such forces in the next Lok Sabha elections," Naqvi said. He said the next general elections would be fought on the issues of corruption, price rise and administrative failure and "secular syndicate would not succeed in misleading the people".

Naqvi said the countdown for the Congress to move out of power had started and the country was in "Modi mood". He claimed that the people were committed to "ending the misrule of Congress and good governance of BJP".

He said the formula of Third Front was like "expired election chocolate" and alleged that those supporting Congress were "spreading the formula of the Third Front." Targeting Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi, Naqvi said, "He is a prince of such a power, which has turned out to be barren in terms of achievements... In reality, the government is with Manmohan Singh but the power with Sonia Gandhi and Rahul, therefore the direct responsibility is with the latter two," he said.