New Delhi, Oct 1 (PTI): Fresh calls were made on Friday to make another attempt for a negotiated settlement to the Ayodhya issue, as governments at the Centre and states as well as political parties hailed the "respectful and dignified" response of people to the court verdict.

The Centre as well as the Congress also made it a point to stress that the yesterday's Allahabad High Court judgement in no way justified the "criminal act" of demolition of Babri Masjid that took place on December 6, 1992.

With no untoward incident being reported from any part of the country a day after the Allahabad High Court verdict, political parties played the peace card and renewed appeals for maintaining communal harmony.

Congress favoured a negotiated settlement of the Ayodhya issue saying all right thinking people should now work for such a settlement while the BJP said this possibility could be explored to settle the issue amicably instead of dragging the sensitive matter further.

"Not only government, but all right thinking people should work for a negotiated settlement. From our side, we will try for a settlement. The issue should be resolved," said AICC General Secretary Digvijay Singh. If this is not possible, then the court verdict should be honoured, he added.

Senior BJP leader Venkaiah Naidu when asked whether the party was in favour of out-of-court settlement said "If there is a possibility, the issue should be settled amicably instead of dragging it further."

Naidu also asserted that the judgement "vindicated the party's stand that Ayodhya was birthplace of Lord Rama."

Chidambaram said the Centre has no role in the issue except to maintain status quo and ensure law and order across the country.

To a question whether the judgement dilutes the case relating to the demolition of Babri Masjid, he said this judgement has nothing to do with that act.

"That act was completely unacceptable and it was an act done by people who took law and order into their hands. That remains, in my view, a criminal act. Also, please don't attribute to the judges (of the Lucknow Bench) any attempt to justify what was done in 1992," he said.

Endorsing the minister's views, Digvijay Singh made it clear that the "crime" of demolition of Babri Masjid has not been diluted by the verdict and all the guilty should be punished.

"We are pleased and satisfied with the response of people which has been respectful and dignified," Union Home Minister P Chidambaram said, echoing the sentiments voiced by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh who made an appeal to the people yesterday to maintain calm in the wake of the verdict.

Playing the minorities card, Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav said the Muslim community felt "cheated" by the Ayodhya title suit verdict, prompting Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati to warn of strict action against any attempt to vitiate the communal atmosphere.

"I am disappointed at the judicial verdicts that give precedence to faith over law and evidence. This does not augur good for the country, the Constitution and the Judiciary itself," Yadav said reading out from a written statement.

"Besides, the Muslims in the country are feeling cheated by the verdict and there is a sense of despair in the entirecommunity," Yadav said.

LJP president Ramvilas Paswan said the verdict had brought disappointment among the minority community but they should not take it as a final one.

AIADMK chief Jayalalithaa described the verdict as "admirable" and urged the parties concerned to "fully appreciate the judgement."

"I feel that the learned judges have delivered an admirable verdict. It is a judgement that opens the door to the path of reconciliation," she said in a statement here.

CPI said there are enough legal avenues for the people who feel aggrieved at the verdict.

It said the verdict based more on faith and religious belief than the basic tenets of history, archaeology, legal logic and historical facts of other streams of scientific knowledge, can spark a debate on the jurisdiction of the courts.

The Forward Bloc while appealing for calm said the Ayodhya issue should be settled before the judicial courts and not at the streets.