BBM chief asks for poll over temple issue

Mumbai: Bharipa Bahujan Mahasangh chief Prakash Ambedkar on Saturday deman-ded a referendum on the issue of construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya. Mr Ambedkar said that issuance of ordinance and acquisition of disputed land for the temple construction was not feasible options.

“Conduct a referendum on construction of Ram temple,” Mr Ambe-dkar said. “Who is RSS and who is Mohan Bhagwat?” he said when asked about RSS chief’s demand for an ordinance to enable the construction of temple.

Mr Ambedkar also criticised the BJP ally Shiv Sena for latching onto the temple issue, saying people will not be fooled by its rhetoric. To a question about possibility of his party entering into an alliance with the Congress and NCP, he said, “I met Congress leaders once and they said they would discuss my proposal with their central leadership. I have not heard from them again yet.”

Mr Ambedkar has ann-ounced a tie-up with All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen for the next year’s Assembly and Lok Sabha elections.