New Delhi: The Shankaracharya of Puri Swami Adhokshjanand Teerth today (Feb 11, 2004) ridiculed the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) Government for "remembering" Lord Rama only during polls even as he advocated plebiscite in Jammu and Kashmir and involvement of Pakistan and all sections of the State, including militants, in talks.

The Vajpayee Government is "not dealing sincerely with the Ayodhya and Kashmir issues", the seer said at a press conference.

Charging the Government with "unnecessarily delaying" the talks with Hurriyat, he said all sections, including the Geelani faction of Hurriyat, "mujahideen" and Kashmiri Pandits, have to be involved in talks for finding a lasting solution.

Referring to the resumption of Indo-Pak talks, the seer demanded "tripartite" dialogue involving Kashmiris "as they are the real victims and their fate is at stake".

Asked about the solution he proposed to the dispute, he said, "The people of the State should be given a Democratic chance to choose what they want. There is no harm in plebiscite."

On the Ayodhya issue, the pontiff said it was surprising that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Government had "remembered Ram devotion" again on poll eve after putting the issue in "cold storage" during its six-year rule.

"For six years the Government has been saying that Ram temple is not on its agenda but as elections draw close, the Prime Minister has again indulged in gimmick," he alleged.