BJP MP Rakesh Sinha. (Twitter/@RakeshSinha01)
Amid clamour for an ordinance on the construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya, BJP MP Rakesh Sinha on Thursday said he will introduce a private member’s bill and took on the opposition, including Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, asking whether they will support it.
Taking to Twitter, Sinha asked Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati, CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury and Telugu Desam Party N Chandrababu Naidu whether they will support his bill for construction of the temple at the disputed site.
“Will Rahul Gandhi, Sitaram Yechury, Akhilesh Yadav, Mayawati and Lalu Prasad Yadav support private member bill on Ayodhya? They frequently ask the date (of Ram temple construction) from RSS and BJP, now onus is on them to answer,” he posted on the micro-blogging site.
Will @RahulGandhi @SitaramYechury @laluprasadrjd Mayawati ji support Private member bill on Ayodhya? They frequently ask the date ‘तारीख़ नही बताएँगे ‘ to @RSSorg @BJP4India ,now onus on them to answer
— Prof Rakesh Sinha (@RakeshSinha01) November 1, 2018
The MP also asserted that the Ram temple issue is not a priority for the Supreme Court and compared it to the time taken to deliver verdicts on Article 377, Jalikattu and Sabarimala row.
“How many days SC took to give the verdict on Article 377, Jallikattu, Sabarimala ? But Ayodhya is not in priority for decades and decades. It is a top priority of Hindu society,” he tweeted.
How many days SC took to give verdict on Article 377, Jallikattu, Sabarimala ?But Ayodhya is not in priority for decades and decades . It is a top priority of Hindu society .
— Prof Rakesh Sinha (@RakeshSinha01) November 1, 2018
Sinha later tweeted, saying he was ready to visit the opposition leaders’ at their residences “to know their valuable opinion”.
Will write Preface (introduction)of my private member bill on Ram temple in Ayodhya.request तारीख़ पूछने वालों को 2send me feedback.if @RahulGandhi @laluprasadrjd @yadavakhilesh Mayawati ji @ncbn ask me to visit their residences I would go to know their valuable opinion.
— Prof Rakesh Sinha (@RakeshSinha01) November 1, 2018
Sinha’s remarks came two days after the apex court’s postponed the hearing of the case to the first week of January.
Mounting pressure on the government, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) had earlier said that the temple “should be built immediately” and the Centre “should bring legislation to remove the obstacles”. The VHP too sought a law, saying the “wait for the temple cannot be eternal”.
Union minister and BJP leader Giriraj Singh had said Hindus were “running out of patience” on the Ram temple issue. “Shri Ram is the cornerstone of the faith of Hindus… The Congress has decided to make it a Hindu-Muslim issue… Hindus are running out of patience. I fear what will happen if Hindus lose patience,” he said.
On the demand that the Centre bring a legislation to allow construction of the Ram temple, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, on the other hand, had said “justice delayed is equivalent to injustice” and there are “other options”.
“Ram Janmabhoomi se jo juda hua mamla hai woh mananiya uchchattam nyayalaya mein hai… Samay par mila nyaay… uttam nyaay maana jata hai. Nyaay mein deri, kabhi, kabhi anyaay ke samaan ho jata hai (The issue related to Ram Janmabhoomi is in the Supreme Court. Justice which is timely is considered the best justice. Sometimes, justice delayed is equivalent to injustice),” Adityanath had said in a video released on his Twitter handle.