Age Correspondent
New Delhi, July 1: The architect of the Ram Janmabhoomi movement, the BJP finds itself virtually isolated following the submission of the Liberhan Commission report.
The BJP, which said it was committed to building the Ram temple in Ayodhya, seems to be standing alone as its NDA allies are unwilling to rally behind the BJP on the issue. JD(U) chief Sharad Yadav, though, refused to comment on the issue. His party asserted that the "guilty must be punished as per the Constitution".
Commenting on the report, JD(U) spokesperson Shivanand Tiwary said the report should be tabled in Parliament and made public. He added: "As far as action on the basis of report is concerned, our stand is quite clear. The law must take its own course. The guilty must be punished as per the Constitution."
While senior party leader and co-accused in the case Murli Manohar Joshi felt timing of the report as "intriguing", the BJP intends to put up a brave front even if its leaders are indicted. Even though the party said that it would come out with a "structured response" on the issue only after contents of the report were known, party chief Rajnath Singh and Mr L.K. Advani had a meeting on the issue on Tuesday.
Senior party leader Yashwant Sinha, however, felt that "mandir-masjid issues are not important" and the party should look beyond them. Speaking to a news channel, Mr Sinha said the party should focus on the real issues.
Senior BJP leaders, including Mr Advani, Mr Joshi and Mr Vinay Katiyar, had been accused of demolishing the Babri Masjid in 1992.
Speaking about the report, Mr Joshi said: "I don’t know whether it goes in favour or against. But one thing is certain that the timing of presenting the report in intriguing."
