Mumbai: Former Prime Minister V P Singh today (Oct 28, 2004) attacked BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) for raking up Ram Mandir issue only when in Opposition.

"They (BJP) were in power at the Centre as well as in Uttar Pradesh but they never displayed any eagerness to resolve the imbroglio, which is shown only while in Opposition," Singh told reporters in Mumbai.

Taking a dig at new BJP President L K Advani's statement that only consensus among Hindus and Muslims or a court settlement could resolve the temple issue, Singh said, "As the then Prime Minister I had told the same thing to Advani, who had embarked on a Rathyatra, but then he (Advani) did not heed to our advice."

Singh said, now Advani "should take penance as the country could have been saved from hardships in the post-Babri demolition developments."

The former Prime Minister also revealed that his Government was nearing the solution to resolve the Ram temple issue.

He blamed the BJP for ruling out court's intervention then by claiming that "temple issue was a matter of faith."