The PM is averse to changes
With barely five months remaining for next year’s general elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is under intense pressure from the ruling party’s ideologue, the RSS, and the Sangh Parivar for getting down to building a grand Ram Temple in Ayodhya.
In a show of strength, a fresh salvo was fired in this regard from the national capital on Sunday when a congregation of the RSS and VHP called for early resolution of the dispute paving the way for the speedy construction of the temple.
The RSS hardened its attitude emphasising that the “Ram temple was the peoples right”. The sentiment of the people must be respected and the responsibility rests with the Modi government and Parliament. Clearly, the endeavour is aimed at gaining an upper hand in the most crucial state of Uttar Pradesh having the highest number of 80 seats in the Lok Sabha.
The Lotus party’s performance in the assembly elections last year was mind boggling when it bagged 325 out of the 403 seats in the state. However, its performance in the bye-elections in UP has been dismal amid apprehensions about chief minister Yogi Adityanath being able to hold his own at the hustings next year.
Five years back in the last general elections the saffron brigade secured 71 seats on its own and along with its allies finished with a tally of 73/80. It is unlikely that the Lotus party will be able to repeat this performance, leave alone improving on it in the upcoming general elections. The RSS believes the construction of a new Ram temple will go a long way in improving the situation for the BJP in UP.
The problems in the country’s most populous state as elsewhere pertains to continuing farmer distress, unemployment, expensive diesel, deteriorating law and order situation amid a host of other issues. The RSS and other organisations of the Sangh Parivar are keen that an Ordinance be promulgated.
On his part, the prime minister appears averse to doing anything that violates the principle of separation of powers of the Executive, the Judiciary and the Legislature. Then, there is a strong possibility that Akhilesh Yadav of the Samajwadi party and Bahujan Samaj party supremo Mayawati reaching an understanding so that anti-BJP votes are not divided in UP.
There is the possibility of proHindutva elements upset with the Prime Minister whipping up an anti-BJP mood for failing to deliver on the Ram Mandir issue which appears to have lost its emotive edge. There is discernible consternation with regard to rebel VHP leader Pravin Togadia who is strongly opposed to Modi.
He has threatened to mobilise voters against the BJP for failing to deliver on the Ram Temple issue despite the strong mandate in 2014 when the BJP secured a majority on its own in the Lok Sabha for the first time.
The October 29 proceedings in the Supreme Court in the Ayodhya title suit has been highly disappointing for BJP leaders who felt the case will be decided before the next general elections. Building a Ram temple in Ayodhya has been part of BJP’s poll promises since the 1989 Lok Sabha elections.
With the Apex Court deferring the hearing to January in the new year has led to the RSS and the VHP pressurising the Prime Minister for enacting a law or promulgating an Ordinance for ensuring the construction of a Ram temple.
However, legal experts believe any law or Ordinance on the subject when the matter is before the Supreme Court would be unconstitutional. It may be recalled when the Apex Court took up the appeals arising out of the High Court judgement in 2011, all the parties including the Union Government had agreed to maintain “status quo” in the matter.
The Supreme Court held in 2011 that “Article 27 would be violated if a substantial part of the entire Income Tax collected in this country, or a substantial part of the central excise or the customs duties or sales tax, or a substantial part of any other tax collected in the country were to be utilised for promotion or maintenance of any particular religion or religious denomination”.