Hyderabad: In a volte face, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president M Venkaiah Naidu on May 29 said he never favoured construction of mosque alongside the Ram temple at Ayodhya and termed media reports to this effect as "misinterpretation".

"I did not mean that mosque can be constructed close to the temple at the birthplace of Lord Ram. It can be built in a place which has concentration of Muslim population," Naidu said.

He said a needless controversy should not be created over the issue.

"Our stand on Ayodhya is very clear. A grand temple should be built at the birthplace of Ram. It can happen either through mutual consent, court verdict or legislation. A mosque can also be built but at a place away from it," the BJP chief said.

Seeking to wriggle out of a delicate situation created by his remarks at a rally in Uttar Pradesh on May 28, Naidu put his views in perspective at the party's crucial brainstorming session in Hyderabad on May 29.

He told a meeting of party's state unit presidents and secretaries that his remarks on mosque construction were "misunderstood" by the media.

PTI