NEW DELHI, March 9: Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee said on Saturday the Government would abide by the Supreme Court directions on VHP’s programme to carry out ‘Bhoomi Puja’ near the disputed site in Ayodhya on March 15.

In the first official comments on efforts to hammer out a solution on the Ayodhya issue, Vajpayee told a delegation of All India Organisation of Imams that: “The Government would do as per the directions of the Supreme Court which is hearing the matter on March 13”. The apex court will be hearing two pleas seeking contempt of court proceedings against VHP leadership for violating status quo in Ayodhya as also Army deployment.—APP