Patna: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today accused the BJP of raking up the Ram temple issue to garner political advantage in Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, which will be held in 2017.
"If the BJP is serious, it should specify a date for the construction of the temple," Mr Kumar remarked, pointing to the demand of BJP ally Shiv Sena, which, too, has demanded a date.
"When everyone knows the temple can be built only by taking all parties along, this issue's being raised means the BJP is hardly serious. It was raised just to whip up passions in the run-up to the Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh in 2017," said Mr Kumar in Patna today.
Sunday, December 6, is the 23rd anniversary of the Babri Masjid demolition and in its run-up, Mohan Bhagwat -- the chief of BJP's ideological mentor the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh - had said the temple will be built in his lifetime. In an editorial in Saamna yesterday, the Shiv Sena said he should now announce a date for its commencement.
As the opposition Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party took on the BJP in Parliament, Mr Kumar accused the party of using Lord Ram as a "political tool".
"The BJP claims Lord Ram belongs only to them, but the fact is that a majority of the Hindus worship Lord Ram. For them, it is a matter of faith not a means to achieve political goals," said Mr Kumar, who won a third term in the recently held assembly elections in the state, decisively trouncing the BJP and its allies.
When Mr Kumar joined hands with BJP in '95 October, it was only after an understanding that the party will not rake up three contentious issues -- construction of Ram temple, the Article 370 and Uniform Civil Code.
He parted ways with the BJP in June 2013 after it was made it clear to him that Narendra Modi will be the party's Prime Minister 's candidate. At the time, Mr Kumar had expressed apprehensions that the BJP will keep on raking these three issues from time to time for political gains.
"If the BJP is serious, it should specify a date for the construction of the temple," Mr Kumar remarked, pointing to the demand of BJP ally Shiv Sena, which, too, has demanded a date.
"When everyone knows the temple can be built only by taking all parties along, this issue's being raised means the BJP is hardly serious. It was raised just to whip up passions in the run-up to the Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh in 2017," said Mr Kumar in Patna today.
As the opposition Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party took on the BJP in Parliament, Mr Kumar accused the party of using Lord Ram as a "political tool".
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When Mr Kumar joined hands with BJP in '95 October, it was only after an understanding that the party will not rake up three contentious issues -- construction of Ram temple, the Article 370 and Uniform Civil Code.
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