VHP puts off Ram temple protests till general elections

The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) has decided to put off its agitation for construction of a Ram temple in Ayodhya till after the general elections scheduled in summer. VHP working president Alok Kumar said on Tuesday the decision was taken last week at the Dharam Sansad in Allahabad after discussions among Hindu seers.

“The saints decided that for the next four months there will be no agitation. They explained that amid the din of elections even the most holy and spiritual of issues becomes political and we don’t want the Ram temple to become an electoral issue,” Kumar said.

A hardline affiliate of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, the VHP will, however, continue to raise awareness and mobilise support for the temple but its cadres will not take to the streets. Asked if the decision was taken to avoid embarrassing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government, which had promised that a temple would be constructed in its 2014 election manifesto, Kumar said, “…that is also a reason.”

“The saints said there is no other political party (apart from the BJP) that has shown the courage to make a commitment for building the temple. So, yes, we don’t want to embarrass the government,” he added.

Political analyst Hari Desai said putting off the agitation was aimed at benefitting the BJP. “The Sangh parivar cannot distance itself from the BJP. Unless the BJP is in power, they lose their appeal. They will work for the BJP and this move is for the political benefit of the BJP.”

The VHP has long been at the forefront of the temple campaign. It has been saying that the government should not endlessly wait for a court verdict but bring a legislation in Parliament to pave the way for construction to begin.

First Published: Feb 05, 2019 22:58 IST