RSS, VHP demand a law for building of Ram temple
NEW DELHI: The RSS and its affiliate, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), demanded a legislation for the construction of a Ram temple in Ayodhya after the Supreme Court rejected a request for an early hearing into the decadesold title dispute between Hindu and Muslim groups. VHP’s Alok Kumar said their representatives will meet parliamentarians from different parties for the legislation to be passed.
LUCKNOW: The BJP and RSS in Uttar Pradesh on Monday expressed disappointment over the Supreme Court’s decision to defer hearing in the Ayodhya case till January, dimming hopes of a verdict ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
However, some BJP leaders hinted at the prospect of the party trying the legislation route to honour the wishes of ‘Ram bhakts’.
Many party cadres told HT that they would write to the party leadership about the “mood of the Hindus.”
The BJP hasn’t yet decided its official response to the deferment though deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya admitted the decision to defer the hearing was ‘discouraging.’ Like most BJP leaders, Maurya has been quite vocal in expressing support for the temple but he has also been indicating a legislation route to pave way for a temple if ‘court and consensus’ fail.
BJP was hoping an early solution to the vexed dispute would help it deflect criticism as the party had of late been under attack from Ayodhya saints as well leaders like former VHP chief Pravin Togadia, who accused the party of cheating people on the temple promise.
Political observers feel that having stated prominently in their manifesto their desire to work for construction of a Ram temple, the BJP could ill-afford to go into the 2019 polls blaming the court for the delay.
“That won’t work and the party knows it because in 2014 and 2017 the leaders had stated that temple would be a reality if they have their own government in the centre and UP. Now, with patience of the people and cadre running thin, they will need to do something to come across as credible and so it won’t be surprising if the party makes some big announcement,” said Athar Siddiqui of the Centre of Objective Research and Development.
A BJP spokesman admitted that the party won’t hesitate to probe the possibility of finding a solution to the tangle through legislation.
“Party ko punarvichar karna padega ki kya karoro logon ki astha ke vishaiy pay sarvocch nyayalaya main iss tarah ki badhaiyen aati rahengi? Humari netritva jo bhi bada, kada nirnaiy lena hoga woh lena main saksham hai (our party would now have to rethink its options as one wonders if such disruptions would continue to be a hurdle in way of early decision? Our leadership is capable of taking big, hard decisions,” BJP’s Navin Srivastava said when asked if legislation was a possibility.
RSS leader Rajendra (he goes by one name), the sah sampark pramukh of Awadh region, said, “I would reiterate what I told you ahead of the deferment. On the SC/ST Act, the centre showed will to turn down the apex court ruling. So that option (of legislation) is very much open as there is a growing feeling among Hindus that they have been made to wait for far too long on an emotive issue.”
VHP’s Sharad Sharma said, “Our unflinching three-line formula to resolve the dispute has been, “mandir wahin, masjid Ayodhya mein nahin, Babri Masjid kahin nahin (temple at the same spot, mosque out of Ayodhya, Babri mosque nowhere). The deferment is discouraging but has only strengthened our temple resolve.”