BJP threatens to build temple on Babri Mosque site

ISLAMABAD: The ruling Indian Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) National Secretary Sunil Deodhar has threatened on Sunday that the Indian government will take the legislative route to build a grand temple of Lord Ram in Ayodhya at the place of Babri Mosque if the verdict of the Supreme Court on the matter is not in favour.

The Indian Supreme Court has set up a five-member Constitution bench to hear the politically-sensitive Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid land title dispute.

According to Indian media reports speaking to reporters after a party meet in Bahraich, Deodhar said, “Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that a temple will be built. Enacting a law (for constructing Ram temple) can be considered only after the verdict of the court. If the verdict of the Supreme Court is not in favour, then an ordinance will be enacted, and if the verdict of the apex court is favourable, then the temple will be definitely constructed.”

He said ‘when the case is going on in the Supreme Court, enacting an ordinance will not be constitutional’.

The senior BJP leader said that ‘our vaadaa (promise), iraadaa (determination) and niyat (intention) is that a grand temple for Lord Ram should be constructed at his birthplace’. “Hindutva and development are ‘antarnihit’ (inherent). Hindutva and development are two sides of the same coin. Hindutva is a way of life. Fighting for Hindutva means fighting for development, and fighting for development means fighting for Hindutva,” the extremist Hindu leader added.