New Delhi: Capping the controversy over BJP's (Bharatiya Janata Party) stand on the Ayodhya issue, NDA (National Democratic Alliance) allies today (Nov 15, 2004) decided to further strengthen the Opposition alliance and preferred a "negotiated settlement" to the Ram temple issue.

"We the leaders of constituents of the NDA have resolved further that the NDA is as relevant and its unity as important now as during the six-year period when our alliance provided the first stable and successful coalition Government in the history of independent India," a resolution adopted at the meeting said.

Reading out from the resolution, NDA convenor Gorge Fernandes said, "The NDA believes that an early and amicable resolution of Ayodhya issue will promote national integration and strengthen India socially as no other issue can."

Fernandes announced that he would be leaving for Chennai tomorrow (Nov 16, 2004) and try to meet Kanchi Shankaracharya.

On the Ayodhya issue, the resolution said NDA preferred a negotiated settlement through dialogue between representatives of Hindu and Muslim communities in an atmosphere of communal peace, mutual trust and goodwill and called for the intensification of efforts in this direction.

The Opposition allies also took to task the UPA (United Progressive Alliance) Government saying it had little to show for its achievements in the first six months of its existence.

"The steep rise in the prices of all essential commodities is proof of the betrayal of its promise to safeguard the interests of the common man," the resolution said.

The NDA also expressed deep concern over the "steady deterioration of internal security in the country".

"While we welcome moves to carry forward the process initiated by the NDA Government to normalise relations with Pakistan, the recent statements by the Prime Minister and the External Affairs Minister on the Jammu and Kashmir issue are at variance with the national consensus, as articulated in the resolution passed by all the political parties unanimously in Parliament," it said.

Asked to elaborate, former External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh objected to the Prime Minister's reported statement that all "options are open" on resolving the Kashmir tangle and Natwar Singh's reported remarks that India would consider Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf's formula.

"We would like to know whether redefining the territory of Jammu and Kashmir or its fragmentation is in accordance with the unanimous resolution of the Parliament on Jammu and Kashmir," he said.

Terming the Kanchi Seer's arrest as "unfortunate", the NDA Convener said, "He did not deserve that kind of treatment."

"It is our shared belief that NDA is the only and true alternative to the contradictions-ridden Congress-Communist combine, which is set to take the nation on a ruinous path. All the constituent parties of the NDA dedicate themselves to expose this regime," the resolution said.

The meeting was attended among others by BJP president L K Advani, JD-U (Janata Dal-United) leaders Nitish Kumar and Sharad Yadav, M Venkaiah Naidu, Jaswant Singh and V K Malhotra from BJP, S S Dhindsa (Akali Dal), Arjun Charan Sethi (BJD), Dinesh Trivedi (Trinamool Congress) and P C Thomas (Indian Federal Democratic Party).

The meeting was called at the instance of JD-U following Advani's remarks at the BJP's National Council meeting in New Delhi on October 27 that his party was committed to the construction of a Ram temple at the disputed site in Ayodhya.

Fernandes sought to blame the media for the controversy and said the meeting was called to clear the misunderstanding caused by the news reports on Advani's remarks.

The Opposition alliance also committed itself to "strengthening the constitutional ideal of secularism as expounded by Mahatma Gandhi and other Indian seers".

In an apparent message to Lok Janshakti Party leader Ram Vilas Paswan, the meeting also called upon all anti-RJD forces in Bihar to "unite and give effect to the people's keen desire for a change in the forthcoming elections".