The Ayodhya Dispute Percentage

| 1.1 The mosque should be demolished/removed to build the temple | 27.75 |

| 1.2 The whole complex should be handed over to the Archaeological Survey of India for Preservation as a national monument | 38.36 |

| 1.3 The temple should be built near the mosque without demolishing the latter | 33.89 |

On the face of it, the overwhelming verdict (72.2 percent) against any scheme to demolish or relocate the disputed shrine in Ayodhya suggests an abiding commitment to tolerance and the coexistence of different faiths. However, this categorical assertion is qualified by a number of factors:

38.4 per cent view the Babari Masjid as only a historical monument. Some 61.5 per cent of the respondents appear to be committed to the construction of a temple in Ayodhya, though there are major differences over location. That some 27.8 per cent of largely middle class respondents endorse the Vishwa Hindu Parishad position would indicate that the pro-mandir agitation has struck a chord in this section of the population. The results also point to the fact that the hardline position on the Ayodhya controversy enjoys relatively greater support among readers of the Delhi and Lucknow editions of The Times of India (36.2 per cent and 35.7 per cent respectively) and the Gujarati edition of the paper published from Ahmedabad (31.2 per cent). The support is far less in Patna (22.06), Bombay (20.1 per cent) and Bangalore (20.1%).

Not surprisingly, there is a pronounced correlation between the pro-demolition-relocation camp and support for the BJP. Equally significant is the fact that of the six per cent who have expressed a preference for a Congress-BJP alliance, two-fifths subscribe to the VHP position on the Ayodhya controversy. Moreover, 10.4 per cent of Congress supporters endorse this position.... It is the Congress that is the major beneficiary of the secular position....

However, the Congress position is not bereft of complications—41.4 per cent of those who support the Congress also endorse the suggestion for a temple that does not disturb the present shrine, suggesting the need to strike a fine balance....