NEW DELHI, 17 February — Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee yesterday admitted that he has failed to resolve a major dispute between Hindus and Muslims over a site in the northern city of Ayodhya where Hindu fanatics demolished a mosque nine years ago.

Hindus pulled down the 16th century Babri Masjid on Dec. 6, 1992 saying that it was located on a site where the Hindu deity Rama was born. Now, they plan to begin building a temple there next month.

The demolition led to riots across the country in which hundreds of people were killed.

“I have tried a lot to sort out the issue through amicable agreement between both the communities but failed, as both the parties had taken a rigid stand,” Vajpayee told reporters in Lucknow. Vajpayee said it was now up to the courts to resolve the dispute. The disputed site is currently under the protection of the courts.

Asked if he had gone any further in proposing a solution to Hindu and Muslim community leaders during his mediation talks, Vajpayee said: “No, the talks did not reach that stage.”

Several members of Vajpayee’s Cabinet, including Home Minister L.K. Advani, still face charges over their alleged role in inciting mobs to pull down the mosque.

The prime minister said the government was continuing to try to find a solution and has asked the Law Ministry to look for a way out of the problem. About the demand by the fundamentalist Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) that the government hand over non-disputed land around the mosque site to them, Vajpayee said it was for “the court to decide what is disputed and what is not”.

Concerning the VHP’s declared intention to begin building the temple at the mosque site as from March 15, Vajpayee said the government was committed to preventing any breach of law and order besides maintaining the status quo of disputed area.

The government was, however, hopeful of avoiding any confrontation with the VHP on the issue, he said. (DPA)

Since Uttar Pradesh is serving as the battleground to prove the political credibility of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government at the center and the state, Vajpayee is leaving no stone unturned to turn the tide in his party’s favor.

Addressing a party rally, on Friday in Kanpur, making a special reference to Muslims, Vajpayee said: “We don’t look upon them as being a vote bank as other political parties. But we look upon them as human beings and equal citizens of the country.”

But justifying the ban on Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI), he made reference to the “unlawful” activities the group was involved in.

The “madarssas,” said Vajpayee, should be part of education and prepare the youth for nation building without indulging in anti-national activities.