With barely a day left for the Babri verdict to be pronounced, the Congress in Uttar Pradesh is cautiously treading the middle path on the Ayodhya issue.
The party is taking extreme care to ensure that it is not perceived as taking sides on the issue.
“We cannot be seen as being pro-Muslim or pro-Hindu on the issue. Our commitment is to ensure the protection of minority groups at all costs but without hurting the sentiments of the majority groups. The Congress will abide by the court verdict — whichever way its goes — and the concerned parties are free to exercise their legal options,” said a senior party functionary.
The Congress, which has an eye on the 2012 Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, apparently wants to adopt a please-all policy on the issue.
UPCC president Rita Bahujan Joshi, who visited Ayodhya on Tuesday, met several Muslims leaders and Hindu saints and seers but consciously avoided visiting temples during her stay.
“Though we are keen to assuage the feelings of Muslims who were upset with us during the Babri demolition but we cannot be seen as an anti-Hindu force either. As a political party, our duty is to respect the court verdict and that is what we are positioned to do. If the state government is sincerely committed to maintaining law and order in UP, we will extend all our support and cooperation to the government,” the functionary added.
The party leadership knows that Muslim support alone will not help it return to the centrestage of UP politics in 2012 and, therefore wants to win over the support of moderate Hindus as well.
The party is also aware that the BJP will try and derive maximum mileage from the Babri verdict — whichever way it goes — and will try to polarise votes on communal lines.
“Our main job will be to prevent this polarisation of votes and seek the help of moderate Hindus who outnumber the hardliners in the state. We are trying to impress upon the common people that any communal trouble will cast a shadow on economic stability and disturb their lives. Since legal options will be available even after the verdict, they should wait for law to take its course rather than take to the streets,” said another party leader.