"The place of janmabhoomi is yet to be allocated for the construction of the temple," Mohan Bhagwat said
The government should bring in an "appropriate and requisite" law to build a Ram temple in Ayodhya, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat said today in his last Vijaya Dashmi address before next year's general elections, in which the BJP will seek a second term in power. The RSS -- the ruling BJP's ideological mentor -- had earlier expressed confidence that the Supreme Court, where the title suit of the Ayodhya case is pending, will deliver a just verdict. The hearing will begin from October 29.
Today, from the RSS headquarters in Nagpur, Mr Bhagwat said: "The government should clear the path for construction of the grand temple through appropriate and requisite law."
"There is an obvious game plan of a few elements to stall the judgment by presenting various newer interventions in the judicial process," Mr Bhagwat said, adding that it is nobody's interest to test the patience of society without any reason.
The construction of a Ram Temple in Ayodhya is necessary from the "self-esteem point of view" and it would also pave way for an atmosphere of goodwill and oneness. "The place of janmabhoomi is yet to be allocated for the construction of the temple, although all kinds of evidence have affirmed that there was a temple at that place," he added.
The issue of Ram temple, sent to the back of the BJP manifesto to give space to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's message of development in the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections, has received fresh life ahead of the next year's elections. Various right-wing groups have pushed forward the agenda and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and his deputy have referred to the matter, saying there should be "no doubt" that the temple will be built.
Earlier this month, Mr Bhagwat had said even opposition parties cannot openly oppose a Ram temple in Ayodhya as the deity is revered by the majority of the population.
Today, BJP ally Shiv Sena too referred to the issue. Party chief Uddhav Thackeray said he would visit Ayodhya on November 25, and “ask PM Modi why Ram Temple has been built yet”.
Today, BJP ally Shiv Sena too referred to the issue. Party chief Uddhav Thackeray said he would visit Ayodhya on November 25, and "ask PM Modi why the Ram temple has not been built yet".
But a jarring note was struck by BJP ally Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal United, which issued a stern reminder that the Ram Janambhoomi title suit is pending in the Supreme Court and the party believes that "we should wait for the verdict instead of needlessly raking it up".
On September 27, a three-judge bench led by the then Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra had refused to revisit a 1994 ruling that the government can acquire land that a mosque is built on -- a decision that paved the way for the politically charged temple-mosque dispute to be taken up without further delay. Had the top court decided to re-examine the decision, it would have delayed the Ayodhya dispute hearings even though it has no direct bearing on the title suit.