In a volte face, the BJP president M Venkaiah Naidu today said he never favoured construction of mosque alongside the Ram temple at Ayodhya and termed media reports to this effect as ‘misinterpretation’. “I did not mean that mosque can be constructed close to the temple at the birthplace of Lord Ram. It can built in a place which has concentration of Muslim population,” Naidu said here.
“Our stand on Ayodhya is very clear.
A grand temple should be built at the birthplace of Ram. It can happen
either through mutual consent, court verdict or a legislation. A mosque
can also be built but at a place away from it,” BJP chief said. Seeking
to wriggle out of a delicate situation created by his remarks in UP yesterday,
Naidu put this views in perspective at the party’s brainstorming session
here.