07-10-2006, 06:51 PM
Muslim team against bullet-proofing Ayodhya temple
New Delhi, July. 10 (PTI): Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today told a delegation that plans to protect the makeshift Ram temple in Ayodhya with a bulletproof shield cannot be shelved, Delhi Assembly Deputy Speaker Shoaib Iqbal, leader of the delegation, said.
Iqbal said after the meeting that Singh cited last year's terrorist attack on the sacred compound as the primary reason behind the new security plan for the site.
"The Prime Minister said he won't take any risk. He said another attack could lead to a very serious situation and therefore it was necessary to build a bulletproof shield around the site," the JD(S) leader said.
Disappointed with the Prime Minister's refusal to drop the plans for protection of the makeshift temple in Ayodhya, Iqbal vowed to create political pressure on the government to force it to withdraw its decision.
"He rejected our request one hundred per cent and now we will mobilise support of the UPA allies as well as the Left to make the government drop this plan which we feel will give legitimacy to the existing temple there. We would like the allies to pull down the government if it does not accept our demand," Iqbal said.
In its reaction, the BJP described as "highly inappropriate" the demand for withdrawal of plans to provide a bullet-proof cover to the makeshift temple.
"There is a Ram temple which has faced an attack before. The government must ensure its safety. We believe it's the government's responsibility to ensure all places of worship are safe. Any opposition to such plans is highly inappropriate," BJP spokesman Prakash Javadekar said.