The RSS and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad have thrown their weight behind the Narendra Modi government on the issue of Ram Mandir, it emerged after the two-day Dharma Sansad of the VHP at the Kumbh Mela in Allahabad that concluded on Friday.
The two outfits advocated a path of caution, given that the 2019 Lok Sabha election is round the corner, and appealed to Hindu seers to have patience for a few months.
They welcomed the Modi government’s request to the Supreme Court to allow it to return the “superfluous land” the then government had acquired in 1993 around the disputed site in Ayodhya.
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Saying that they did not want to “not give the pseudo-secular pack the opportunity to drag” the Ram Mandir issue into a “political vortex and swamp”, given the Lok Sabha polls, no new phase of the movement would be announced in the coming days, the VHP-backed Dharma Sansad said in its resolution.
While appealing to the Supreme Court to hold day-to-day hearing in the case and announce a verdict in two or three months, the resolution said the seers had expectations from the current Central government, which had “made its commitment clear” by taking immediate action on their “request of land return”.
“Their workers have been struggling together with us at various stages of Ram Mandir movement. There has been a delay in the construction of the Ram temple, but we are confident that they would take meaningful steps towards addressing various issues relating to national interest and Hindu pride including Ram Mandir,” said the resolution.
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In his address, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat echoed the same line, saying the Modi government had “expressed its intention”, which was “clear” towards building a Ram temple. “Everyone knows if the land is returned, the first act will be to proceed from the maha dwar to the garbha griha ,” Mr. Bhagwat said.
While appealing to the seers to continue building awareness on the issue, the RSS chief asked them to ensure that a government committed to a national viewpoint came to power in 2019, an endorsement of the Modi government. “Matter has come to a decisive point... on the brink of mandir construction. We have to think before taking any steps,” he said, adding that, any activity on the Ram Mandir issue over the next few months would have an impact on the Lok Sabha election.“They should not have any obstacles through our andolan, but receive help,” said Mr. Bhagwat, asking seers to consider “who will build the temple” before starting any programme over the next four-six months.
The Dharma Sansad also warned that they were “ready to go to any extent and bear every pain to remove the road blocks on the path of construction of the temple, no matter whether such obstruction is caused by the political parties or the executive or the judiciary.”
Mr. Bhagwat’s speech was marked by protests by a section of the attendees who were irked as no date of temple construction was announced at the sansad.
Nritya Gopal Das, the head of Ram Janmabhooomi Nyas, however, said the seers had not gathered to decide the date but for discussion on early construction of the Ram Mandir. “It’s for the Centre to decide on a date,” he told reporters.
The VHP’s resolution over the Mandir was in contrast to the stance of Shankaracharya Swami Swaroopanand Saraswati who on Wednesday announced at the ‘Param Dharam Sansad’ that February 21 had been set as the date for the March to Ayodhya and laying the foundation stone for the Ram Mandir. Even if Hindus have to face bullets or go to jail for it, they are ready, he said.
The seers also passed a criticism resolution against the Modi government for failing to bring a law on Ram Mandir despite having a majority.
Swami Narendra Giri, the head of the Akhil Bharatiya Akhara Parishad, the body of 13 top Hindu sects in the country, boycotted the VHP Dharma Sansad, saying the intention of the meeting was not to construct a temple, but to make a fool of the people.
“Seers are losing their patience. This will cost the BJP dearly. BJP won’t make the temple,” he said, accusing it of false promises.
Swami Giri also said since the VHP and RSS also aligned with the BJP, they lacked an independent voice.
Vinod Bansal, VHP spokesperson, dismissed the protest slogans at the Dharma Sansad, saying, “Anti-social elements who had nothing to do with Ram bhakts or seers wanted to spoil the atmosphere.”
He also said the VHP did not endorse the Shankaracharya’s announcement of a march to Ayodhya. “We have got positive signals from the government. Let us wait for sometime. We have to keep restraint. A solution will come after that,” he said.