Ram Temple Inauguration Befitting Reply Those Who Mocked BJP: D Fadnavis

The inauguration of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya on January 22 is a befitting reply to those who used to attack the BJP with the 'mandir wahi banayenge par tarikh nahi batayenge' taunt, said Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Monday.

The opposition Congress and leaders from other parties often mocked the BJP claiming it was using the temple issue for political gains despite being unsure of whether it would ever get built.

Speaking at the 'Atal Sanskriti Gaurav Awards' event here, Mr Fadnavis said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had realised the dream of former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee with the construction of the Ram Temple and abrogation of Article 370, which gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir.

"Once Atalji was taunted in Lok Sabha over his government's common minimum programme not having references to the Ram Mandir, Uniform Civil Code and Article 370. At the time, Atalji said he was leading a coalition government of 22 parties," Mr Fadnavis said.

"However, Atalji had said the day his party comes to power with a majority, the Ram Temple will be built and Article 370 would be scrapped. This has become reality after PM Modi came to power," the deputy CM added.

Taking a swipe at the opposition, Mr Fadnavis said now some parties are asking if the Ram Temple is the "private property" of the BJP.

"These are the same people who used to mock us saying mandir wahi banayenge par tarikh nahi batayenge (we will the build the temple there but will not reveal a date for it). Now the temple has been built and the date (of idol consecration) has been announced," he said.

If you have the courage, come to Ayodhya and we will show you the temple, Mr Fadnavis said in a swipe at opposition parties.

December 25 is the birth anniversary of Vajpayee, which the Union government celebrates as Good Governance Day.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)