21 Mar 2009 PTI
NEW DELHI: BJP on Saturday underlined its commitment to the cause of building Ram Temple in Ayodhya but said the construction had to be done by the Ramjanambhoomi Trust and not the party as it is not a "construction company".
"BJP is committed that a temple should be built in Ayodhya after religious leaders of both sides reach a consensus through dialogue," BJP Vice President Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said here.
"The task of building it (temple), however, has to be undertaken by the Ramjanambhoomi Trust as BJP is not a construction company," he told PTI.
Naqvi was issuing clarification after his comments to Gulf News were subjected to various interpretations by sections of the media.
In this interview to the Gulf newspaper, the Muslim face of the saffron party had said: "BJP is not a construction company to build a temple, mosque, church and gurudwara. We support the cause that there should be a Ram temple in Ayodhya, but it has to be done with consensus of the religious groups and organisations through negotiations and talks. Or according to the court's verdict."
He said some sections of the media here were interpreting his comments wrongly as they were quoting him "selectively".
Amid the controversy, BJP spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad clarified the matter while defending Naqvi.
"What he (Naqvi) has stated is essentially correct because we have never in the past said that BJP will personally construct the temple. The responsibility of constructing the temple is with the Ramjanambhoomi Trust which has undertaken it upon itself," Prasad said.
"BJP will only facilitate construction of the temple," he said.
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