A cold reception (awaited) the Sangh Parivar's Dharma Jagran Yatra ... The week-long yatra, which began from Karsevakpuram in Ayodhya( on 5 December), was meant to "awaken" the people to "the need fro a BJP government at the Centre if they wanted the Ram Janmabhoomi temple in Ayodhya."

However, barely a few hundred people turned up at the "big" meetings planned by VHP leaders at Sringi Rishi Ashram on the banks of the Saryu river and in Gosainganj town. Turnout was even poorer at the dozen welcome meeting planned along the way.

The VHP, however, tried to explain the poor public response to its "deliberate strategy" to keep things in low key. "We do not want to create problems for the BJP Government in UP ... said Mahant Paramhans Ram Chandra Das, Convenor of the Ram Janmabhoomi Trust.

Significantly, BJP leaders avoided the yatra ... Local MP Vinay Katiyar participated only in the yagna before the yatra and left ...                  (Source: The Indian Express, 7 December, 1997)