NEW DELHI, INDIA, April 10, 2001: Home Minister L K Advani told the Liberhan Inquiry Commission on Ayodhya today that the temple dispute could only be resolved through negotiations or legislation as a court verdict would not provide a solution to the problem. “The BJP has always been of the view that the issue could be resolved through a negotiated settlement or a legislation. Litigation is not the answer to the problem,” Advani remarked in his maiden appearance before the eight-year-old Commission. His narrative of the events which led to the December 6, 1992, demolition of the disputed structure was an exercise in self explanation; aimed primarily at living down the hardline image that has haunted him all these years. Striking a personal note, Advani, who is an accused in the demolition case, described December 6, 1992, as the most depressing day in his life. “I had seldom felt as dejected and downcast as I had felt on that day. I couldn’t share the feelings of those who were ecstatic,” he remarked in reference to the post-Ayodhya jubilation among many Hindus.
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