Can’t set a date for Ram temple, says Maurya
LUCKNOW : Deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya on Saturday said it was not possible to set a date for the Ram temple construction as the matter was subjudice, contradicting some Hindu saints and ministers who hinted at a move forward on the Ayodhya issue in December. “Since the matter is in court, we won’t be able to set a temple date. But yes, who can stop us from coming up with a grand statue of the Lord in Ayodhya? Who can stop us from developing the temple town?” Maurya asked while talking to HT on phone.
LUCKNOW :Deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya on Saturday said it was not possible to set a date for the Ram temple construction as the matter was subjudice, contradicting some Hindu saints and ministers who hinted at a move forward on the Ayodhya issue in December. Instead of making any major temple announcement, it now appears that chief minister Yogi Adityanath will engage in damage control by declaring that the world’s tallest statue of Lord Ram will come up in the temple town.
Maurya himself gave such an indication, saying while it was not possible to set a temple date, none can stop them (BJP) from coming up with a grand statue of Lord Ram in Ayodhya.
“Since the matter is in court, we won’t be able to set a temple date. But yes, who can stop us from coming up with a grand statue of the Lord in Ayodhya? Who can stop us from developing the temple town?” Maurya asked while talking to HT on phone.
The Congress described it as a classic example of the BJP’s doublespeak.
“So, after suggesting all this while that they are working on a temple law, now they suddenly announce that they will abide by the court. The deputy CM’s statement coincided with a temple build-up in Delhi as a former BJP MP has even set the date for temple construction. They are trying to fool the people who will show the BJP its rightful place in 2019 LS polls,” said Congress secretary Devendra Pratap Singh. When asked about the temple issue, union home minister Rajnath Singh, who was on a visit to Varanasi, said, “It would be nice and everyone would be happy if a temple comes up.”
Maurya’s statement coincided with a two-day meeting of Hindu saints in Delhi on Saturday during which former BJP MP Ram Vilas Vedanti, a member of the Ram Janmbhoomi Nyas, said the temple construction would start from December 6; the day when Babri mosque was demolished in Ayodhya some 25 years ago.
Union minister Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti also made a similar declaration in Unnao. “Wait till December,” she said when asked about her views on the temple and the recent speculation of the BJP mulling a law to pave the way for the temple ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
In Lucknow, Maurya, who had earlier said that legislation would be considered if court and consensus failed, preferred pragmatism. “Jo mamla court main hai uspe kya bola jaaye .. Ayodhya ke andar janmbhoomi par bhavya mandir zaroor banega ..kab banega na iske bare main hum tithi bata sakte hain .. na hamare woh haath main hain ..Lekin Babur ke naam ka koi smarak ya bhawan ab Ayodhya main nahi ban payega .. (what can we say that the matter is pending in court? But yes, we are sure that the temple would come up at Ayodhya. Can’t set a date for construction as the matter is pending in court but yes, one thing is sure. No structure in the name of Babur would come up in Ayodhya,” he said.
“Ayodhya belongs to Lord Ram. While it’s true that due to long pending legal issue the construction of a temple isn’t possible immediately, who can stop us from beautifying it, from developing it,” he said.