UP govt letter on Ram temple sparks controversy

Lucknow: A controversy erupted on Saturday over a communique by UP home secretary convening a meeting to discuss the "reconstruction of Ram temple in Ayodhya on the lines of Somnath temple", with a red-faced Samajwadi Party government admitting the "error" and promising action against the guilty.

Principal Secretary (Home) RM Srivastava on Saturday apologised for the "error" and said he was taking responsibility for the folly of some "junior level" officials. "There are errors in the letter issued on October 9 by the department for convening the meeting and parts of intelligence input on the VHP sponsored 'Sankalp Diwas' on October 18, which should not have been made public, got mentioned in it," Srivastava said at a press meet in Lucknow.

"The language used in the letter is not correct," Srivastava said, adding an inquiry would be conducted and action would be taken against those responsible. Secretary (Home) Sarvesh Kumar Mishra, who issued the letter, however, chose not to respond to queries during the press meet.

Srivastava stressed the error should not be taken as any policy decision of the government and "some errors do take place in the department as officials work throughout week". Srivastava said the issue has been brought to the notice of the competent authority and the minister concerned (Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav also holds the home portfolio) must also be aware of the same.

Secretary (Home) Mishra issued the letter asking the DGP and other senior officials to attend a meeting on October 14 for discussion "regarding parliamentary law by the Centre for reconstruction of temple at Ram Janmabhoomi on the lines of reconstruction of the Somnath temple". The letter was sent to DGP, ADG (LO), ADG (intelligence), IG (LO), IG (Railways, Lucknow), IG (Lucknow), IG (Faizabad) and DM  and SSP of Faizabad. Reacting strongly, BJP said the letter was a conspiracy of the "Cong-SP-BSP secular syndicate" and that it would not help "such forces" in the 2014 general elections.

"The letter is a conspiracy of secular syndicate of Congress, Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party. Such a conspiracy will not help to avoid white-wash of such forces in the next Lok Sabha elections," BJP national vice-president Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said in Kanpur.