No change in BJP temple stand, says Yogi Adityanath

Lucknow: UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday asked saints and seers in Ayodhya to be patient on the Ram temple issue while assuring them that there had been no change in the BJP’s intention on the issue.

Mr Adityanath, who was in Ayodhya to participate in the 80th birthday celebrations of Mahant Nritya Gopal Das, said in his speech that an acceptable solution to the Ram temple issue was the need of the hour and the judiciary, legislature and the executive had their own roles. Accusing the Congress of trying to delay the temple solution, he said, “We should also identify those who repeatedly try to create a divide in society and delay the temple construction”.

Without taking the name of Kapil Sibal, Mr Adityanath said that a senior Congress leader had asked the court to delay hearing till after the Lok Sabha elections.

Mahant Nritya Gopal Das is the head of the Ram Janambhoomi Nyas and the chief minister’s presence at his birthday celebrations is considered important since a few days ago, the saints and seers of Ayodhya had expressed their anger over the delay in Ram temple construction. Some had also said that if the constructing the Ram Mandir was not taken up seriously there could be an adverse impact on the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

Without mincing words, Digambar Akhara head Mahant Suresh Das said there could be no excuse for not building Ram Mandir as there was a BJP government in both New Delhi and Lucknow with leaders like PM Modi and CM Yogi in command.

The Prime Minister will have to live up to his promise of building the Ram temple, he said and added that the temple issue would be raised at the on-going Sant Sammelan.

Dr Ram Vilas Vedanti, former BJP MP and a key player in the temple movement, meanwhile, said that temple construction could begin anytime before 2019. He created a stir when he said that temple construction would begin irrespective of the Supreme Court decision.

“The road to temple construction will begin without any obstacle — just like the demolition of the mosque took place. We did not need permission to demolish the mosque and we do not need permission to build the mosque,” he said.