New Delhi: Congress president Sonia Gandhi on February 18 favoured "status quo" on Ayodhya and said everybody should wait for and respect the verdict of the Supreme Court on the issue.

"On the Ayodhya issue, we have all along stated that we should wait for and respect the verdict of judiciary and till then nothing should be done to disturb the status quo," Gandhi said while addressing a general body meeting of the Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP).

Gandhi, who is the chairperson of the CPP, said the judgement delivered by the Supreme Court in 1994 on the acquisition of land in Ayodhya had specifically forbidden the "handing over" of any part of the 67 acres of acquired land to any party before the final settlement of the main Ayodhya title deed.

"I am sure that all attempts presently being made to misinterpret that judgement will eventually be frustrated," the leader of the Opposition said without referring to the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government's move to get the stay vacated on religious activities on the acquired land.

Meanwhile, Congress on February 18 opposed any action on Iraq without the sanction of the United Nations and said India should take an active part in diplomatic efforts to defuse the "extraordinary" tense situation in West Asia.

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"Congress's position on the Iraq crisis has been clear from the beginning. We believe that whatever action has to be taken must flow out of an explicit and clear UN mandate," Sonia Gandhi said.

She said her party deplored any attempt to weaken the authority of United Nations, the current session of which was being held in the background of the extraordinary tense situation in West Asia.

"The region is vital to our country not only because of its long historical, cultural and political links or oil supplies, but also because about 3.5 million of our countrymen and women live and work there," Gandhi said.

She said the 13th Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) summit at Kuala Lumpur from February 24 must be imparted a "new sense of purpose and direction keeping in mind contemporary global and regional challenges".

The Congress president accused Pakistan for its continued attempt to foment cross-border terrorism in India and said sections of its ruling establishment simply do not want normal relations to prevail between the two countries.

"We are also meeting in the backdrop of an escalating war of words between India and Pakistan. There can be no doubt whatsoever that Pakistan continues to foment cross-border terrorism and that sections of its ruling establishment simply do not want normal relations between the two countries," she said.

She also accused Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and 'sangh parivar' of using Indo-Pakistan confrontation to polarise Indian society for their narrow political ends.

"Having said this, I should also say the BJP, the VHP (Vishwa Hindu Parishad) and RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh) are not averse to using the confrontation with Pakistan to polarise our own society," Gandhi told the CPP on the second day of the Budget Session.

PTI