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New Delhi: Clarifying his recent remark on Ayodhya that has generated a controversy, Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee on August 3 said that the Ram temple issue could be resolved either through court or mutual agreement between Hindus and Muslims.

"There is no change in government's stand on the temple issue," Vajpayee told a delegation of Delhi Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders at his residence on August 3 morning, two days after he was quoted as saying the temple would be built at 'Ramjanmabhoomi sthan', birth place of Lord Ram, at Ayodhya.

"Some criticism is being made on my statement. I want to make it clear that there is no change in our stand. Temple should be built there and we have been saying this, but it should be constructed with the co-operation of all," Vajpayee said.

The Prime Minister while addressing the people at the funeral of Ramjanmabhoomi Nyas chief Ramachandra Das Paramhans on August 1 stated that the Mahant's last wish to see Ram temple built at Ayodhya would be fulfilled and all obstacles removed.

Taking strong exception to Vajpayee's statement, Opposition parties have threatened to rake up the issue in Parliament on August 4. Even National Democratic Alliance (NDA) ally Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) president M Karunanidhi has sought a clarification from Vajpayee to dispel doubts on the issue.

One way to resolve the vexed issue is that the two communities should unite to find a solution, the Prime Minister said, adding, "Efforts are on in this direction and I am confident that they are moving towards success."

The other path was that the matter be left to the court and its verdict be acceptable to both sides, he said. "There is no other way," Vajpayee said.

On August 2, the people thought that the government's stand on the issue had undergone change. "There is no reason for change in the stand. Our stand remains the same but in a single speech I cannot say everything," he said.

The Prime Minister said he had expressed his feelings briefly at the condolence meeting of the Mahant after the funeral.

On a sensitive issue like Ayodhya it was not possible to place all aspects in a single speech and "there was no need for it", he said.

But what appeared in the press has created some misunderstanding and he was clarifying it, Vajpayee said adding, "You should not have any sort of misunderstanding on the issue".

Senior Delhi BJP leaders including Sahib Singh Verma and Madan Lal Khurana had gone in a delegation to the Prime Minister's house to congratulate Vajpayee on the formulation of Delhi development Authority's (DDA) Master Guidelines.

PTI