Imam's conditional offer

NEW DELHI, MARCH 7. In a new twist to the demolition of Buddha statues by the Taliban in Afghanistan, the Shahi Imam of the Jama Masjid, Syed Ahmed Bukhari, today said he could help in bringing the statues to India ``if the Prime Minister, Mr. Atal Behari Vajpayee, accepted that the demolition of the Babri Masjid in 1992 was a national shame.''

``I will negotiate with Taliban leaders to hand over the statues to India, if the Prime Minister made such a statement,'' Bukhari said here.

He said Hindu organisations such as the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) should also be told that they should abide by the verdict of court in the Ayodhya case.

In his Id address on Tuesday, Shahi Imam had likened the Taliban action to the demolition of the Babri Masjid. ``I again make it clear that the Taliban action should be seen in totality and not in isolation. Their representative at the United Nations has made it clear that this action was in response to the Masjid demolition,'' he added.

Expressing surprise over the reaction from western countries and international organisations, Bukhari said, ``I wonder why they were silent when the Masjid was brought down by activists of Hindu parties.''

Effigy burnt

Meanwhile, the Shiv Sena activists today burnt an effigy of Bukhari for justifying the demolition of Buddha statues by the Taliban regime in Afghanistan.

In Kolkata 60 Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) activists were today arrested for violating prohibitory orders in the city, after the police refused them permission to hold a rally in the area.

``We had prior permission from the police to hold the rally'', they claimed.

- PTI,UNI

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