Addressing an election rally in Alwar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi alleged that the Congress was obstructing the construction of a Ram temple in Ayodhya. It must be noted that the 2014 general elections were contested by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on the plank of development and sab ka saath, sab ka vikaas. The temple issue was not on their priority list then. But as the 2019 general elections are approaching, various leaders of the BJP and the Sangh Parivar are making statements on the issue. A clear and visible attempt is being made to reinvigorate the topic despite the matter being sub judice. I fear that this issue will create communal unrest, causing irreparable harm to the common citizens. The political class may gain from this but it will ultimately be the common citizen of the country who will suffer in case there is unrest or rioting. I also wonder if the construction of the temple will be a panacea to all our problems such as unemployment, poverty, hunger, inequality and terrorism.

Vikas Kamat, Margao

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