'Temple Movement a defining moment in Indian history'

Congress's 'duplicity and double standard' angered BJP into taking part in the agitation, said Advani.

Advani with former UP chief minister Kalyan Singh after paying obeisance at the Hanuman Garhi Temple in Ayodhya on Tuesday during the second phase of Bharat Uday Yatra.

Asserting that the Ram Janmabhoomi Movement was a "defining moment" in contemporary Indian history, Deputy Prime Minister LK Advani on Tueday,said BJP participated in the temple agitation angered by the "duplicity and double standard" of the Congress.

"Ayodhya has a special significance for me and BJP. In 1990, I began the Ram Rath Yatra from Somnath, hoping to conclude it in Ayodhya. I did not reach my destination then, but the Ram Janmabhoomi Movement was a defining moment in contemporary Indian history," he told reporters here before starting for 25th day of his 'Bharat Uday Yatra'.

"Many lakhs of people participated in the great upheaval and scores of people laid down their lives for establishment of a grand temple in Ayodhya. Contribution by tens of thousand villagers across the country established the emotional bond with the proposed Ram temple," he said.

He said "two events inspired us to join the movement, one was Shaho Bano case where the Rajiv Gandhi government passed a constitutional amendment to overturn the Supreme Court order. This was done under pressure from Muslim clerical leaders who had gone to the extent of boycotting the Republic Day function".

Without taking the name of Syed Shahabuddin, Advani said one of them has in fact joined Congress recently.