BJP national general secretary Ram Madhav
BJP national general secretary Ram Madhav said here Saturday that the Supreme Court order deferring the hearing in the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid title suit to January had left the Hindu society and supporters of the Ram temple feeling “anxious”. The BJP has so far not spoken on the issue, despite the RSS taking a strong stand against the court’s decision.
Speaking to The Sunday Express, Madhav also drew a parallel between what happened before 1992 and what was happening now in the judiciary in the context of the temple issue.
Ram Madhav said that the judiciary fixed the hearing for October 29, and then delayed the matter to January. “Similar judicial delay had happened before 1992 too. We do not want that such a situation arises again. We all want that the judicial process is expedited,” he added, while stressing that his remarks not be seen as a threat.
Earlier, speaking to ANI, Madhav said the 1992 “dilly-dallying” “had led to certain consequences”. The Babri Masjid was demolished on December 6, 1992.
It was because the judiciary had postponed the matter that “anxious” supporters of Ram temple and the Hindu society were asking the government to issue an ordinance on the matter, Madhav said. Asked for his view on the ordinance demand, he did not respond.
When asked if the BJP had any plans for a Ram temple movement, the general secretary said no such discussions had been held. At the same time, he reiterated, “We have never seen it (Ram temple) as a political issue.”
Madhav’s remarks came a day after RSS sarkaryavah Bhayyaji Joshi said Hindus were “feeling insulted” that an issue linked to their “faith and sentiment” was not on the court’s “priority list”, adding that they would “not hesitate to launch an agitation for Ram temple, if needed, but since the matter is in the Supreme Court, there are restrictions”.
On Tuesday, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had expressed disappointment over the Supreme Court order, saying, “sometimes, justice delayed is equivalent to injustice”, and urging that the issue be resolved at the earliest.
Sangh Parivar outfit VHP has urged that the Central government bring in a legislation in the coming Winter Session of Parliament for building Ram temple.
The RSS too has called for such a law, with Sah Sarkaryawah Manmohan Vaidya saying last week that Ram temple was an issue of national self-respect and honour, and just as reconstruction of the Somnath temple was done by Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, the government should acquire land and hand it over for the construction. Vaidya had said that the government should enact a law for this.
In its order, the Supreme Court had ordered listing of appeals against the Allahabad High Court order in the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid title suit before an “appropriate bench” in the first week of January 2019 to fix a date for hearing.