Now fulfil Congress govt's 1994 'promise' on Ram temple: RSS to Centre

Mumbai: The RSS on Wednesday urged the Centre to fulfil the "promise" made in 1994 by the then Congress government in the Supreme Court, saying it had agreed at that time to side with the Hindu community if an evidence was found of a pre-existing temple before it was razed to build the Babri Masjid.

Speaking to reporters, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) joint general secretary Manmohan Vaidya also said the issue of building a Ram temple at Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh was not just limited to the Hindu and Muslim communities.

He was addressing the media after RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat inaugurated the Akhil Bharatiya Karyakari Mandal Baithak of the organisation at Rambhau Mhalgi Prabodhini in Bhayander.

The Supreme Court on Monday said an appropriate bench would start hearing the matters related to the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid dispute from January 2019, triggering demands within the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the RSS for a law for an early construction of the temple on the disputed site.

The Congress had said all parties should abide by the court verdict. The BJP too has maintained that they would respect the verdict of the court.

"The court has said a mosque is not mandatory for namaz and the prayers can be performed on the streets as well. Besides, namaz is not accepted if it is performed on a forcibly acquired land. The court has also said that this (acquiring of land) was not a religious deed," Vaidya said.

He claimed that in 1994, during the Congress rule, the solicitor general had submitted an affidavit in the Supreme Court, stating that the government would side with the sentiments of the Hindu community if an evidence was found of a razed temple, where the mosque was built.

"Now, we have the evidence... Also, this issue has long been pending in the court without a decision. The issue is now only that of acquiring the land and handing it over for the construction of the temple," Vaidya said.

The RSS leader said the issue was no more limited to Hindus and Muslims or a temple or a mosque, but about the restoration of the pride of the country.

"The government should now fulfil the promise made in 1994," he added.

The Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid dispute is a centuries-old point of a tussle between Hindus and Muslims.

The mosque was demolished by Hindu karsevaks on December 6, 1992 in Ayodhya, following which the country witnessed riots in which over 2,000 people were killed.

On the unveiling of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel's statue - the tallest in the world - by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Gujarat earlier in the day, Vaidya took a dig at the Congress, saying politics should not be played over it.

The country was proud of Sardar Patel's achievements, he said, adding, "The Congress has the habit of criticising everything, but they cannot prove anything. This is an issue of national pride. Sardar Patel had played a big role in uniting the country after Independence and therefore, he was known as the Iron Man."

Sardar Patel's statue would inspire the youth, Vaidya said.