BJP Vows to Finish Temple

08/02/2004| IslamWeb

India's prime minister called on the nation yesterday to elect him to a new term in power, saying he needed to complete unfinished business such as the building of a Hindu temple on the site of a razed mosque. Atal Behari Vajpayee made his appeal as his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which heads the federal coalition, launched its election campaign in Ayodhya town. "We have come to you to seek another term of five years," he told a rally of some 30,000 people. "There are many unfinished tasks... among them is the task of building a magnificent Ram temple on the site of his birth in Ayodhya," Vajpayee said. Ayodhya is located in India's largest and politically key state of Uttar Pradesh. India's main opposition leader Sonia Gandhi entered the election season yesterday fending off charges by Vajpayee that she offered only a dynastic legacy. Most opinion polls say Sonia faces a daunting challenge against Vajpayee and speculation is rife she may enlist her children Rahul and Priyanka to bring life to the campaign. Sonia said India had other political families that have been allied with Vajpayee such as the Naidus in Andhra Pradesh state and the Abdullahs in Kashmir. "These are all examples of political families. This is a ridiculous issue, it cannot be an issue at all," she said. Asked whether her children would hit the campaign trail, Sonia said: "You have to ask them whether they want to join politics or campaign in the polls. It will be entirely their choice." **PHOTO CAPTION*** India's Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee.