Ahead of Ayodhya Verdict, BJP Issues Guidelines for Party Leaders

In a meeting, the ruling party has sent a message that no extreme reactions are to be expressed over the verdict.

The verdict is expected to come before 17 November, before CJI Ranjan Gogoi retires.

(Photo: The Quint)

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has issued a set of guidelines for party leaders and cadres, to avoid inflammatory or provocative statements after the Supreme Court pronounces its verdict in the Ayodhya case.

In a meeting, the ruling party has sent out a message that no extreme reactions are to be expressed over the verdict, no matter what it entails.

The Indian Express reported that the message was sent out after a meeting of BJP General Secretaries, chaired by working president JP Nadda in New Delhi.

The report further says that the party will further hold a meeting in Bengaluru for the southern region, in Kolkata for the Eastern region and one in Mumbai, for the western region, in order to discuss the code of conduct for the day of the verdict.

A senior party leader was quoted by The Indian Express as saying that none of the leaders should comment on the verdict.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to make a statement after the judgment, and other ministers have been asked to wait for his statement before reacting. Meanwhile, BJP president will make a statement first, according to a senior BJP leader.

According to The Hindu, the party has also asked its leaders to avoid appearing on TV news debates in the interim period so that no inflammatory statements come from the party on the issue.

The BJP meeting comes after a series of Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) meetings held by RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat on the same subject.

The RSS had earlier cancelled a meeting of the organisation’s top brass, scheduled to be held between 31 October and 4 November. The “Ekal Kumbh”, scheduled for 17 November in Lucknow, has also been put on hold, according to the report.

(With inputs from The Indian Express and The Hindu.)