BJP suffers from Mandiritis (Ram temple disease) whenever polls approach: Congress

BHOPAL: Former UP Congress chief and Rajya Sabha MP Pramod Tiwari on Saturday took a dig at the BJP-RSS combine for their recent demand to construct Ram temple in Ayodhya.

“Whenever elections approach, BJP and its allied organisation members start suffering from a disease called Mandiritis,” Pramod Tiwari said speaking to reporters here on Saturday.

Tiwari said he was a member of the Uttar Pradesh state assembly since 1980 and the Ram temple activities started from 1987-88. “Each time there is sound of elections in the country and especially now that assembly polls are scheduled in the Hindi heartland, BJP will get Mandiritis. Usually, soon after elections are over and they have grabbed power, the BJP packs up the issue and seal it till the next elections. But this time they might continue to suffer for a longer time because Lok Sabha elections are also in 2019,” he said.

BJP Rajya Sabha MP and RSS think-tank Rakesh Sinha claimed earlier this week that he will soon introduce a private bill in Parliament seeking construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya. RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat last month also demanded a law for construction of Ram temple.

“The BJP has no faith in Ram or the temple. For them the temple issue is purely an electoral propaganda. Whenever they get surrounded by crisis situations like the effects of demonetisation, increasing unemployment or Rafale allegations, they start playing the Ram temple orchestra,” Tiwari argued.

He said that the Congress believes that since the matter is before the Supreme Court, the decision of the court should be accepted by both parties. “Previously also, only court orders were implemented. I know because I am from UP. The Supreme Court will hear the case from January. Whatever be the decision of the court should be accepted. Congress has never said more than this,” he added.