Congress hails initiatives to reach amicable and peaceful settlement on Ayodhya issue

New Delhi, Oct.5 (ANI): The Congress party on Tuesday welcomed all efforts being made by the concerned parties to reach an amicable and peaceful settlement of the Ayodhya issue.

The Congress, during its working committee meet held today, also held that the final decision of the Supreme Court must be awaited on the concerned issue.

"The Congress [party] respects the judicial process to resolve the Ramajanma Bhumi-Babri Masjid title suit and the final decision of the Supreme Court must be awaited as and when an appeal is filed," said Party General Secretary Janardhan Dwivedi after the Congress Working Committee meet held here today.

Dwivedi, who is also Congress party's chief spokesman, told reporters said that the Committee also underlined that the verdict of the Allahabad High Court does not in any way condone the demolition of the Babri Masjid on the 6th of December 1992 which the party described as "a shameful and criminal act", saying that the perpetrators must be brought to justice.

"The consensus emerged at the meeting on the Ayodhya issue says that the distortion of the verdict by communal forces is detrimental to the larger national interest as it will cause harm to the nation's move and desire for peace and harmony," he informed.

During the meet, Dwivedi informed, the Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram briefed the members on the initiatives taken with regard to Jammu and Kashmir and the Congress President Sonia Gandhi welcomed the steps taken by the government.

He informed that the Committee also decided to hold the plenary session of the party on the 20th of December. A full-fledged meeting of the newly elected AICC members will be held before Diwali. A group also has been formed to go into the issue of amending the party's constitution.

Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and Union Finance Minter Pranab Mukherjee were among also present at the meeting.

The Congress Working Committee, the highest decision making body of the party was converted into the Steering Committee after the recent re-election of Sonia Gandhi as the President of the party. (ANI)