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In yet another development, Shankaracharya of Kanchi KamakotiPeetam Sri Jayendra Saraswathi was in the capital -- apparently, his visit tothe capital was kept "very secret" till the last minute -- ostensiblyon a mission to prevail upon the VHP leadership to postpone its templeconstruction plan.
The Shankracharya met the Prime Minister after holding wide- rangingdiscussions with VHP top brass and other Hindu religious leaders, who have vowedto go ahead with shifting of carved stones to 'Ram Janma Bhoomi site' in Ayodhyaon March 15.
The Kanchi Shankracharya is meant to be a liberal with moderate and modernviews and it remains to be seen what influence he is able to exert on VHP.
According to VHP International Working President Ashok Singhal, the seer wastto urge Vajpayee to hand over the undisputed land acquired by the Government tothe Ram Janma Bhoomi Trust and lift restrictions enforced in the temple town.Details of his meeting with the prime minister remained unknown till the time ofwriting.
Earlier, President of Ram Janambhoomi Nyas (Trust), Mahant ParamhansRamchandra Das, Singhal, VHP senior Vice-President Acharya Giriraj Kishore andits General Secretary Praveenbhai Togadiya also met the Shankaracharya and someflexibility in their attitude seems to be emerging with the mention of "even if symbolically" added to thier reference to shift the carvedpillars.
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