A day after a Lucknow court framed conspiracy charges against top BJP leaders including L K Advani, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath today offered prayers at the makeshift Ram temple here and pitched for a negotiated solution to the dispute.
In his first visit to Ayodhya after taking charge, Adityanath went to the makeshift temple in the Ram Janambhoomi-Babri Masjid complex and spent nearly 30 minutes there.
Adityanath said that he favoured a resolution of the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid dispute through talks between both the communities.
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"I want the dispute to be resolved through discussion. The Uttar Pradesh government will extend full cooperation in this regard," he said.
He however added that even some Muslim organisations that he had met in Lucknow were in favour of a temple.
Adityanath said this while addressing a public meeting on the occasion of the birthday celebrations of VHP leader Mahant Nritya Gopal Das, president of the Ram Janambhoomi Nyas Trust and one of the 12 people against whom a CBI court yesterday framed charges in the case related to demolition of Babri Masjid.
According to Adityanath, "Ayodhya dham was always neglected. All possible attempts were made that no work is done here. Any work that was initiated, was stopped before completion or it was ensured that the work does not start at all."
The UP chief minister had reached Faizabad in the morning and prayed at the famous Hanumangarhi Temple, accompanied among others by Dharam Das, another person against whom conspiracy charges were framed yesterday.
He also offered payers on the banks of the Saryu river here.
Yesterday, a special CBI court in Lucknow had framed charges against BJP veterans Advani, M M Joshi, Union minister Uma Bharti and nine others in the 1992 Babri mosque demolition case. The Supreme Court had ordered restoration of the conspiracy charge against them on April 19.
Adityanath had yesterday gone to the VVIP guest house in Lucknow to meet Advani, who had come to appear before the court.
Today, Adityanath also held a meeting with BJP MLAs, MPs and senior officials of the Faizabad area and reviewed the law and order situation as well as development issues.
He also inaugurated a Passport Sewa Kendra at the head post office in Faizabad.
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