Saturday, January 14 2006 11:23 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Faizabad: Expelled Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Uma yesterday (Jan 13,2006) said former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee wanted to solve the Ram temple issue and accused L K Advani and second rung party leaders of putting the issue on the backburner by coining slogans 'feel good' and 'India shining'.

Addressing a public gathering here on the last leg of her 'Ram-Roti' Yatra launched after her expulsion, she said Vajpayee had initiated efforts to find a solution to the vexed issue during the fag-end of the (National Democratic Alliance (NDA) Government's rule at the Centre.

"Vajpayeeji wanted to find a way out to handover the disputed site at Ayodhya to Ram Janambhoomi Nyas and had asked Arun Jaitely and myself to conduct the back door negotiations because there was a feeling that the party would not be able to return to power," she said.

"Vajpayee had made it clear that he was not bothered even if the NDA coalition breaks up on this issue as that was the last chance to move forward on the issue, " she said.

"But then elections took place in four states and the party won handsomely. Then there was a second thought among the second-rung leadership and they told Advani that the party has a chance to come back to power," she said.

"There was this talk about 'India Shining' and 'Feel Good' and BJP leaders were wallowing in the belief that the party would return to power," she said, adding those leaders forced the party to shelve the Ram temple movement.