Vishwa Hindu Parishad demands ordinance on Ram Temple

New Delhi: Ahead of the crucial Assembly elections in three states and the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) on Friday tried to revive the Ram Janam-bhoomi issue by setting a “deadline” for the the Narendra Modi-led BJP government to  bring an ordinance in the Winter Session of Parliament for the construction of Ram Temple in Ayodhya.

Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) affiliate VHP’s “Uchchatar Adhikar Samiti (high-powered committee)” of saints and seers, which met at its headquarters in New Delhi, passed a resolution demanding an ordinance in Parliament that would pave the way for the construction of a grand Ram temple at the disputed site in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh.

One of the seers, it was learnt, said that if the government can bring an ordinance against instant triple talaq and against the apex court’s decision on the SC/ST Act, why can’t it bring an ordinance or a legislation for the Ram Temple.

“We believe that bringing in an ordinance is not impossible. We hope that this can be brought in during the upcoming Winter Session,” said Alok Kumar, VHP’s working president, calling it the final battle for the construction of the temple.

“If that does not happen, then all the options are open before us. The future course of action will be decided during the two-day ‘Dharam Sansad’ to be held next year on the sidelines of the Maha Kumbh in Allahabad,” Mr Kumar said, adding that huge public meetings would be organised in each parliamentary constituency from next month to mount pressure on the government.

“We want that before the last sunset of 2018, the temple should be constructed at the site,” said Mr Kumar.

The VHP committee, headed by Mahant Nritya Gopal Das, the acting chief of the Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas, said that it is unsure if the Supreme Court would deliver a favourable judgment for construction of the temple. The Ayodhya title suit is scheduled to come up for hearing before the Supreme Court on October 29.

The VHP also decided that representatives of Hindu religious institutions would build pressure on governors and MPs to raise the issue with the Prime Minister and in Parliament.

In the evening, a delegation of saints met President Ram Nath Kovind with their demand of construction of the temple at the disputed site in Ayodhya. The VHP claimed that the President assured them that he would write to the PM on the issue. Seers are also expected to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Sources said that a seer suggested that a visit to the Ram Temple site by the Prime Minister would dispel doubts among “Rambhakts” that the Central government is not serious about building the Ram Temple.

The committee, attended by more than 48 heads of various peeths from across the country,  predicted that if the temple is built, the Modi-led NDA would win the 2019 elections with a bigger margin than 2014.

Replying to a question on why the VHP waited for four years before raising the issue just before the Lok Sabha polls, Mr Kumar said that they were getting “positive indications” from the apex court and had to wait till it delivered a judgment but the case only got delayed.

During the meeting, sources said, seers reminded the BJP of its poll promise of building the Ram Temple and raised questions as to why the construction of the temple is getting delayed when the BJP-led NDA is ruling 22 states.