Modi boosts his Hindu support base with temple foundation stone
NARENDRA MODI, the Indian prime minister, yesterday reinforced his Hindu support base by laying the foundation stone of a controversial new temple on a site contested by Muslims.
In November, after a decades-long legal battle, India’s highest court ruled that a temple could be built in the city of Ayodhya, where a mosque had stood until it was destroyed by Hindu mobs in 1992.
Mr Modi made its construction a key pledge as part of his Hindu nationalist campaign, which led to him being reelected in a landslide victory last year.
Calling it the “dawn of a new era”, he said: “India is emotional as decades of wait has ended. For years, our Ram Lalla [the infant Lord Ram] lived beneath a tent; now, he will reside in a grand temple.” Many Hindus believe the deity Ram was born at the temple site in Ayodhya. Soil was gathered from more than 2,000 holy sites for the building.
Hindus took to social media to praise the prime minister. “Privileged to exist on this historic day. Never felt so devout and elated,” wrote one Twitter user. “The struggle was 500 years old and finally we won, Jai Shree Ram,” said another.
Coverage of the event was broadcast across India, and there were reports of devotees from across the country sending silver and gold – in coins, bricks and bars – to use in the construction of the temple. Police are said to have been ordered to guard these donations.
Activists and observers said building the temple was the latest example of Mr Modi and his ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) discriminating against India’s 200-million Muslim minority.
Yesterday also marked one year since Mr Modi scrapped the autonomous status for India’s only Muslimmajority state of Jammu and Kashmir, which it had held since independence from British rule in 1947.
In February, New Delhi experienced its deadliest inter-religious riots in decades after a BJP politician called on residents to clear roads of Muslims protesting against an exclusionary citizenship bill.
Yesterday’s ceremony passed peacefully, and was attended by two prominent Muslim figures, although in general Muslims expressed frustration at the temple’s construction. “Usurpation of land by an unjust, oppressive, shameful and majority-appeasing judgment can’t change its status,” the Allindia Muslim Personal Law Board said.
Mr Modi arrived in Ayodhya in the morning, and after leading prayers, laid a 40kg (88lb) silver foundation stone to start construction.
He said the building of the temple, which will take up to three years, would invigorate Ayodhya’s economy by attracting Hindu pilgrims.
Amit Shah, Mr Modi’s long-time political ally and India’s current home minister, was conspicuous in his absence after testing positive for Covid-19 on Sunday.
Rumours had circulated that Mr Modi may have been forced to miss the ceremony after holding a cabinet meeting with Mr Shah at his residence last Wednesday.