In Presence Of Yogi Adityanath, Ayodhya Leader's Ram Temple Declaration

Lucknow: Sharing a stage with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, a prominent religious leader and former BJP lawmaker, Ram Vilas Vedanti, declared on Monday that the construction of a Ram temple would start at any cost before the 2019 national election.

Yogi Adityanath also referred to the temple plan, though more diplomatically.

Ram Vilas Vedanti, 59, is part of the Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas, a body of seers that has been at the forefront of the campaign for a temple to mark what many Hindus believe is the birthplace of Lord Ram and where the 16th century Babri mosque stood until it was razed by Hindu activists on December 6, 1992.

"Ram mandir jo hai hamare desh ke pratyek Hindu ka vishay hai. Jahan Ram lalla virajmaan hain wahan mandir banega aur mandir banne ke liye kisi court ki prateeksha nahin karenge. Agar court ka aadesh aa jaata hai to theek hai nahin aata tab bhi mandir banega. Yeh nischit hai ki 2019 se pehle mandir banega (Ram temple is an issue for every Hindu in our country. A temple will be built where Ram resides and we won't wait for any court. If the court allows it, then fine but even if it doesn't, a temple shall still be built. It is certain that the temple will be built before 2019)," the priest-politician said at a function to mark the birthday of Mahant Nritya Gopal Das, the head of the Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas.

The "Nyas" is linked to the Vishwa Hindu Parishad or VHP, an outfit affiliated to the BJP's ideological mentor Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). It is one of the main litigants in the decades-old temple-mosque dispute in court.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, another saffron-robed priest-politician who has made multiple visits to Ayodhya in his year in office, offered an assurance.

"When Lord Ram showers his blessings on Ayodhya, the Ram mandir will definitely be built and there should be no doubt about it. At least there shouldn't be any doubt among saints," Yogi Adityanath said.