As Sangh pressure rises, govt mulls Ram temple ordinance

New Delhi: As the clamour by the Sangh Parivar and the BJP for the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya gets shriller by the day, the government is considering bringing in an ordinance and summoning a special Parliament session ahead of the Winter Session, which is expected to begin in the second week of December.

Sources revealed the saffron camp and the Sangh have received indications that the BJP’s electoral prospects in the poll-bound states, particularly in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan, were not “exactly positive” and there was a need to consolidate BJP’s core votebank. The saffron strategists believe the move to send a “strong signal” to start the construction of the Ram temple at the disputed site could rapidly “consolidate” the BJP’s “shifting” votebank.

The elections in five states — Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Telengana and Mizoram — that begin from November 12, will end on December 7. The results will be declared on December 11.

It is also believed that the beginning of the construction of the Ram Mandir through an ordinance would give the BJP a “huge boost” and yet again consolidate the party’s core votebank for the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections. “We don’t need to focus on anything else, but only consolidate our own votebank... that would comfortably see us through,” a senior BJP leader told this newspaper. It was further claimed that once the “green signal is given”, the construction would begin and within a span of six weeks, the “kar sevaks could put up a temporary structure at the site”. It was further claimed that “everything is ready, the pillars, tiles, windows and doors, and all that is required to build the magnificent temple is ready and could be put in place with speed”.

“The speed to begin the construction and put a temporary structure” is essential as ordinances remain in force for six weeks (once Parliament is in session), after which they need to be approved by both Houses in order to remain a law. The President of India can promulgate an ordinance on the advice of the Union Cabinet only when Parliament is not in session.

Besides top BJP leaders, including Rajnath Singh and Ram Madhav, among others, the Akhil Bha-ratiya Sant Samiti convention, which kicked off on Saturday, has already stepped on the gas. The sants have declared the Supreme Court order “anti-temple”, and while calling Prime Minister Narendra Modi an “incarnate of Lord Ram”, they asked the government to clear the way for the construction of the Ram temple.

It is believed that the construction of the Ram temple (which was on the BJP’s 2014 manifesto) would “neturalise” controversies surrounding Rafale, the CBI, the impact of rising prices, the economic slowdown, the farmers’ agitation, among others, and bring the entire Hindu votebank under a single umbrella “Hindu Astha”. Those in charge of the BJP’s propaganda cells have also been asked to “convince” the media of the “importance and sentimental value of the Hindu faith”.