New Delhi: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on June 10 said various religious groups are holding talks without involving the government as part of efforts to resolve the Ayodhya issue.

"Talks between various religious groups are on to resolve the Ayodhya issue without involving government in it. Since these talks are on, the strong reactions from various groups are not unusual, as they feel it cannot be resolved so easily," BJP spokesman Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi told reporters.

He declined to elaborate on who were involved in negotiations.

Stating that Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee's appeal to political parties and leaders to stay away from the Ayodhya issue was a "positive step", Naqvi said this would help in speeding up the resolution of the problem, which has been pending for years.

Asked whether the criticism being levelled by various groups on the efforts to resolve the dispute would not hamper the process of ongoing negotiations, he said, "The reactions by various organisations on the proposals would not affect efforts to resolve the Ayodhya issue."

PTI