Dharam Sabha in Ayodhya: With high-octane pitch, VHP presses for Ram Temple; bigwigs ask govt to bring legislation

Follow us on

Thousands of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), Shiv Sena and RSS workers descended upon on the temple town of Ayodhya demanding construction of Ram Temple in the disputed land. The event which was organised at the 'Bade Bhakt Mal ki Baghia', around 300 kilometres from the Ram Janmbhoomi Nyas workshop saw over three lakh people in attendance. A parallel rally was also held by Shiv Sena Chief Uddhav Thackeray who warned that if Modi government dithered this time, it will not come to power in 2019.

Besides Ayodhya, the VHP also organised rallies in Nagpur and Bengaluru. The VHP is scheduled to hold a grand rally in Delhi on December 9 followed by a nation-wide movement from December 18.

Security was tightened ahead of the meeting, which has been touted as the biggest congregation of 'Ram Bhakts' in Ayodhya since the 1992 'Kar Sewa' . More than 100 prominent Hindu seers,  including Mahant Ravindra Puri, Mahant Suresh Das of the Digambar Akhada, head of the Ram Janmabhoom Trust Mahant Nritya Gopal Das, Jagatguru Ramanadcharya Hansdevacharya from Haridwar, Jagatguru Ramanandacharya Swami Ram Bhadracharya, Swami Gyananad Giri from Odisha were part of the religious congregation.

ALSO READ | Dharam Sabha in Ayodhya: VHP raises Ram Temple issue, says decision to be made by PM Modi after Dec 11

VHP RAISES RAM TEMPLE ISSUE, URGES GOVT TO DECLARE DATE FOR ITS CONSTRUCTION

Addressing the sabha after the inauguration marked by chanting of mantras at the Badey Bhaktmaal ki Bagia, Ramji Das of Nirmohi Akhara said:"The date for construction of the Ram temple will be declared in the 2019 Kumbh which will be held in Prayagraj".

Senior VHP leader Champat Rai declared that no formula dividing the disputed land will be acceptable for temple construction at Ayodhya.

"We want the entire land for temple construction...no formula dividing the land is acceptable," he told the Dharam Sabha.

Though Rai did not spell out the details, his assertions are considered to be in reference to the Allahabad High court verdict dividing the land into three parts.

Nritya Gopaldas, the president of the Ram Janmbhoomi Nyas said, "such a large attendance shows that how much people from different walks of life are attached to the Ram temple.

"We respect the courts. We have great hopes from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. I request Adityanath to pave the way for construction of Ram temple", he said.

PM MODI TO TAKE DECISION AFTER DECEMBER 11: VHP LEADER RAMABHADRACHARYA

VHP leader Ramabhadracharya on Sunday claimed that a high-level meeting would be held after December 11 in which a decision would be taken about the construction of Ram Temple at Ayodhya. "Prime Minister Narendra Modi will take a final call about the construction of Ram Temple after December 11", he said while addressing the Dharam Sabha rally.

He added; "On November 23, I spoke to a senior minister in the Central government. He has asked me not to disclose his name. I asked him till when should we wait for the Ram Mandir. To which he said that there would be a meeting with PM Modi on this issue after December 11".

WILL NOT CEDE AN INCH OF LAND FOR ANYTHING BUT RAM TEMPLE, SAYS VHP LEADER

Addressing a gathering, Vice-President of VHP, Champat Rai said that they will not cede an inch of land for anything but a Ram temple and demanded from the Sunni Waqf Board that they withdraw their case over distribution of the disputed land as ordered by the Allahabad High Court (HC).

Rai added that this is last such congregation to press for Ram temple and the next logical step for the Hindu outfit would be beginning of construction of a grand Ram temple in Ayodhya.

WHETHER GOVERNMENT COMES BACK TO POWER ON NOT, RAM TEMPLE SHOULD BE CONSTRUCTED: UDDHAV THACKERAY

Reiterating his statement on bringing in the legislature for construction of Ram Temple, Shiv Sena Chief Uddhav Thackeray who is on a two-day visit to Ayodhya said that if the Modi government dithered this time, it will not come to power in 2019. Whether the government comes back to power or not, but the grand Ram temple must be constructed," he said.

He also stated that no one should play with the sentiments of Hindus in this matter. "Time when Hindus were beaten up is a thing of the past, Hindus now are powerful and have a voice," Thackeray said.

The Sena chief again repeated his party's commitment to an early construction of a grand Ram temple in Ayodhya and said if the central government brought a Bill or an ordinance for the temple construction, his party would extend its absolute support.

WE NEED TO BUILD PRESSURE ON GOVT TO BRING LEGISLATION ON RAM TEMPLE: RSS CHIEF MOHAN BHAGWAT

Addressing a rally in Nagpur, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat said that Hindus need not fight but should insist that the government make a law to build a grand Ram temple in Ayodhya.

"If a government wants to build the temple and is not finding the ways, public pressure gives it strength. The entire country needs to stand for the temple", Bhagwat said.

CONGRESS DELAYING RAM TEMPLE CONSTRUCTION, SAYS PRIME MINISTER NARENDRA MODI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday accused the Congress party of adopting "delaying tactics" in the Supreme Court to create hurdles in the construction of Ram temple at Ayodhya and playing a "dangerous game" of threatening the judges with impeachment.

Addressing an election rally in Alwar, Rajasthan, PM Modi said; "When the case of Ayodhya was going on, a Congress leader and Rajya Sabha member was telling the Supreme Court not to hear the case till 2019, because there are several elections till then."

He was referring to Congress leader Kapil Sibal, who had urged the Supreme Court to defer hearing in the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid title suit till July 2019. 

"Is it fair to drag the country's judiciary into politics in this way? Is it right to put pressure on the Supreme Court and the judiciary? But the Congress men say this shamelessly in the Supreme Court," he said.

Stating that he is "making a serious allegation" against the Congress, the Prime Minister said: "If a judge of the Supreme Court does not make the judicial schedule in accordance with thier political intentions, they create hurdles in the Supreme Court which wants to hear a serious and sensitive issue like Ayodhya (that aims) to provide justice to the people."

ALSO READ | Congress threatened SC judges with impeachment': PM Modi's blistering attack over Ayodhya case hearing

He said that the Congress then launched a new "game" of threatening justices to impeach them. 

"This is dangerous game. In the name of impeachment, the Congress is committing the crime of derailing the judicial system. It is stopping the Supreme Court from hearing a sensitive issue.

"The Congress, which has no faith in judiciary and on judges, is trying to capture the country by bringing impeachment on the basis of their strength in Rajya Sabha. They can never be forgiven," Modi stated.

Hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi accused the Congress party of interfering in the Supreme Court's proceedings on the Ram Temple-Babri Masjid case, Congress leader Kapil Sibal countered his claim and said that he is representing a stakeholder and not the Congress party. Talking to ANI, Sibal said, “PM alleges Congress was responsible for the matter not being heard in SC, I being representing one of the parties, the Congress party. Which also he doesn't know because Congress isn't a party in it, nor is BJP.”

MUSLIM BODY PRESIDENT WRITES TO PRESIDENT RAM NATH KOVIND SEEKING INTERVENTION IN AYODHYA SITUATION

The All India Muslim Majlis-e-Mushawarat (AIMMM) on Sunday wrote to President Ram Nath Kovind, seeking his urgent intervention into the developments in Ayodhya, where the VHP has organised a public meeting to press for construction of a Ram temple. An umbrella body of more than a dozen Muslim religious and social organisations, the AIMMM said in its letter that the presence of "unruly mobs" in Ayodhya is a clear pointer to the way things are moving in an unchecked manner in Uttar Pradesh. 

"If any attempt is made to forcibly change the status quo at the disputed site at Ayodhya, it would tantamount to a gross violation of the orders of the Supreme Court," AIMMM chief Navid Hamid said in the letter. It said the lives and safety of thousands of innocent people were at stake and alleged that the Uttar Pradesh government was displaying "total negligence of its responsibility" to maintain peace in the state. Hamid said the state government cannot abdicate its constitutional responsibility of protecting all citizens. 

RAM TEMPLE SHOULD BE BUILT AFTER SUPREME COURT ORDER, CONSENSUS: PIYUSH GOYAL

Union minister Piyush Goyal on Sunday a Ram temple should be built in Ayodhya after the Supreme Court's judgment and with popular consensus. At a press conference in Udaipur, Rajasthan, the Union Railway minister said BJP has always made it clear that a Ram temple should be constructed at the birth place of Lord Rama.

"The party has clarified its view that there should be a decision on the matter as soon as possible with the consensus of all," he said. Mr Goyal added that whatever the Shiv Sena, the Vishva Hindu Parishad and the RSS have said on the issue is what people want.

BHIM ARMY CHIEF CHANDRASEKHAR AZAD TO VISIT AYODHYA ON MONDAY; SAYS VHP EVENT AIMS TO INCITE 'COMMUNAL FRENZY'

The 'Dharma Sabha' in Ayodhya aims to whip up "communal frenzy" ahead of the Lok Sabha elections next year, Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad alleged Sunday, and said he will visit the temple town on Monday to urge the authorities to ensure that the rule of law prevails.

He added that the the country should be run according to the Constitution and whatever judgement the Supreme Court pronounces on Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid title suit should be respected by all.

AYODHYA EVENT AIMED AT DIVERTING ATTENTION FROM BJP'S FAILURES: AKHILESH YADAV

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said Sunday the "joint show" of the VHP, the RSS, the BJP and other organisations in Ayodhya for the construction of Ram temple was intended to divert attention from alleged failures of the ruling dispensation in curbing blackmoney and in creating enough employment.

"I want to thank people of state and the country for not taking the joint show of VHP, RSS, BJP and other organisations in Ayodhya seriously. It was organised to divert attention from failures of the BJP. The party failed on issues like black money, unemployment, problems of farmers and women and now flaring up communal sentiments," Akhilesh said in a statement issued in Lucknow.

Yadav added that people are now "aware" and will not fall in "trap of BJP".

AMID CLAMOUR TO BUILD RAM TEMPLE, YOGI GOVT TO INSTALL HIS 221-METRE STATUE

Amid the ongoing clamour to build a Ram temple in Ayodhya, the Yogi government has firmed plans to install in the temple town a 221-meter statue of the Maryada Purushotam, taller than the Statue of Unity of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.

While the "Statue of Unity", presently the world's tallest, installed in Gujarat's Narmada district on the 143rd birth anniversary of Patel, is 182 metres high, the one to come up in Ayodhya will be 221 metres.

While the height of the Ram statue will be 151 metres, its overhead umbrella would be of 20 metres height and the pedestal would be of 50 metres, Principal Secretary Information Avnish Awasthi said.

Inside the base, there will be a provision for a modern museum that will showcase the history of Ayodhya and the entire 'Ikshvaku Vansh' right from King Manu to the present status of Ram Janmabhoomi, he said, adding the statue will be made up of bronze.

The RSS, Vishwa Hindu Parishad, and BJP have been running a campaign for the construction of a Ram temple in Ayodhya. On December 6, 1992, kar sevaks of right-wing Hindu organisations demolished the disputed structure. Many BJP leaders, including LK Advani and Murali Manohar Joshi, are facing a criminal case in connection with the demolition. 

On October 29, the Supreme Court had adjourned the Ram Janmbhoomi-Babri Masjid title suit till January 2019 to fix the next hearing in the matter.