Ayodhya on the back burner
Sangh, affiliates ask for law to build Ram temple as ruling party weighs options before 2019 polls
A BJP LEADER, WHO HAS BEEN PART OF THE TEMPLE CAMPAIGN, SAID THAT THE PARTY HAS ALREADY TRIED AN OUTOFCOURT SETTLEMENT AND UNSUCCESSFUL
NEWDELHI/LUCKNOW: The Supreme Court’s decision on Monday to defer the hearing in the Babri Masjid-ram Janmabhoomi dispute has fired up pro-temple groups and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is weighing its options on how to turn the situation to its advantage ahead of the upcoming assembly elections in five states, three party leaders said.
The BJP, which is in power both at the Centre and Uttar Pradesh and has so far maintained that it will wait for the top court’s judgment, is now facing the heat from the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and offshoots such as the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) that want the government to not wait for a court verdict and bring a legislation in the upcoming winter session of Parliament for the construction of a Ram temple.
“The party wants to make at least one move on the issue,” said a functionary cited above. “If the party introduces the legislation, it will go in its favour. If other parties don’t support the move, it again advantages BJP; but the larger question is whether the PM [Narendra Modi] would want the party to opt for that,” the functionary added. A second functionary said that the BJP has been unequivocal about supporting the Ram Mandir movement and the Opposition needs to clear its position on the issue.
“There is desirability for polity to have a consensus on the issue, which affect the sentiments of the majority community. Since the issue is before the SC, there are three options for the party: first, to wait for the court verdict; second, to bring a law in Parliament; and the third, to seek consensus. Parties who only talk of minority appeasement will have to take a stand on this issue which is of equity and justice,” the second functionary said.
The Congress accuses the BJP of using the issue to polarise the electorate. “Every five years before the elections, the BJP tries to polarise views on Ram Mandir,” said former finance minister P Chidambaram. Responding to the BJP allegation that the Congress was stalling the SC proceedings in the case, he said, “If you make that statement in public, it will amount to the contempt of the court. So my request is, don’t make that statement in public. The court will decide when to hear the case.”
A third BJP leader, who has been part of the temple campaign, said on condition of anonymity that the party has already tried an out-of-court settlement and wasn’t successful. “Whether the temple is the birthplace of Lord Ram is an issue of faith, that the court cannot decide. The VHP and the RSS are clear that the court cannot decide on issues of faith,” he said.
The third functionary said the issue of opting for legislation will not be easy, since the party will have to consider whether “a Parliament guided by a secular Constitution can pass a bill to construct a temple”.
Earlier this month, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat called for legislation to build a Ram temple. And, on Monday, RSS chief spokesperson Arun Kumar said the Allahabad high court in its verdict has accepted that the site is the birthplace of Lord Ram and a temple existed there. “The construction of the temple is thereby inevitable and hence in case the SC is unable to decide on the case, the Centre should bring in a law and hand over the land to the Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas,” said Kumar.
In UP, where the BJP first rode to power on the back of the Ram temple movement, several party cadre and leaders expressed discontent. Deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya, who had said Sunday that no one would want a structure named after Babur in Ayodhya, said the SC decision was “discouraging”. Some other leaders and the cadre said on condition of anonymity that they would write to the leadership on the “mood among Hindus”. Navin Srivastava, state BJP spokesperson, said the party would consider all options.
“Our party will now have to rethink its options as one wonders if such disruptions will continue to be a hurdle in way of early decision?”