Congress refuses to take a stand on Babri Masjid issue

New Delhi, July 1 (PTI) India's Congress party
Wednesday refused to take a stand on the Ram Janambhoomi and
Babri Masjid issue in Ayodhya saying the matter was subjudice.

The party also talked about a "national consensus" on
the issue and pledged to support any such consensus as and
when it evolved.

"The matter is subjudice...If there is a national
consensus, we will go by it. I do not mean rebuild or relocate
(the disputed structure). The party cannot pre-judge a
national consensus," party spokesman Manish Tewari told
reporters here.

He was replying to a volley of questions on the stand
of the party on the Ayodhya issue and the Liberhan Commission
which yesterday submitted the probe report into the demolition
of the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya.

Asked when will a consensus emerge on the issue,
Tewari said, "in the life of a nation, there are moments...let
us wait".

On whether the government will table the report of
the commission in the Budget session of Parliament, he said,
"we need to give the government time to peruse the report. It
will do whatever is necessary".

To a query whether the Liberhan Commission report would
meet the same fate like the Sri Krishna Commission report (on
the Mumbai riots), Tewari said it is an issue of debate
whether it is mandatory for the government to implement it or
not.

"But we expect government to act if a commission has
given recommendations to it," he added. PTI