SP trying to influence Hashim Ansari: BJP

The BJP Friday accused the ruling Samajwadi Party (SP) in Uttar Pradesh of trying to influence Hashim Ansari, the main petitioner in the Babri Mosque-Ram Janmabhoomi case.

The allegation came amid reports that many SP leaders had met Ansari Thursday and requested him not to go ahead with his plans. A few days back, an ageing Ansari announced he wanted to withdraw from the case.

State spokesman of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Vijay Bahadur Pathak said his party took strong exception to former SP minister and Ayodhya legislator Pawan Pandey's visit to Ansari's house.

"It is both sad and worrying that the SP is trying to stonewall Ansari's efforts to settle the contentious issue of the Babri mosque and Ram Janma Bhoomi," the BJP leader said.

Accusing the SP of being worried that if the matter was amicably settled, they will lose edge in minority politics, Pathak said all political parties must take note of this and condemn the SP.

SP district president Jai Shanker Pandey and local legislator Pawan Kumar Pandey had Thursday called on Hashim Ansari, a day after he announced that "the sight of Ram Lalla (idols of Lord Rama) sitting under a 'tirpal' were saddening" and that he was recusing himself from the case.

He also launched a scathing attack on senior SP minister Mohd Azam Khan and praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his multi-core package for the weavers in Varanasi.