The BJP, in the run-up to 2014 General Elections, promised the construction of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya and included it even in its election manifesto. Time and again BJP leaders have reiterated their commitment for the cause of construction of Ram Mandir which has been a long awaited dream of crores of Hindus across the world. Recently, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat also said, “Ram Mandir should be built at the earliest.” He also said, “The building of Ram mandir will end a major issue of friction between Hindus and Muslims. And if it is done amicably, it will automatically silence those who point fingers at the Muslim community.”
In order to initiate the construction of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, many BJP leaders pitched the idea of taking ordinance route. Last month, UP CM Yogi also hinted about the possibility. The BJP leader Uma Bharti had also called for the amendment to the Constitution for the construction of a Ram Mandir. Some non-BJP members had also spoken that bring ordinance to build Ram Mandir.
BJP has planned to bring an ordinance after Monsoon session, to acquire 274 acres around Ayodhya to build the temple. Idea is not to build but to polarise and communalise the society to come back to power. https://t.co/Mm7wjCpGv2
— shahid siddiqui (@shahid_siddiqui) July 1, 2018
The timing to go for ordinance route could not be more favorable. The recent triple talaq ordinance has been appreciated by the people and also given the Modi government confidence to go for the ordinance route in long-pending issues such as the Ram Temple. When RSS chief was asked about ordinance route, he said, “The decision to bring the ordinance is of the government’s; and the proposal to start a movement on the issue rests with the Ram Janam Bhoomi Mukti Yajan Samiti, I am not part of both. They will have to take a call on whether the ordinance can be brought in legally, whether it will be challenged and they will be asked question on whether the decision (to bring the ordinance) was taken with the elections in mind… But as a swayamsevak and the RSS chief, I feel the temple should be constructed soon.”
As far as the opposition parties are concerned, given the recent attempt of ‘Hindu appeasement’ by Rahul Gandhi, Mamata Banerjee and others, if the government decides to take an ordinance route then the opposition would be in a catch 22 situation. Any protest by the opposition against the Ram Temple ordinance would expose their opportunism. It would further cement the fact that their sudden love for Hinduism is all because of upcoming general elections and to woo Hindu voters. Throughout the election campaign, the BJP would continuously remind people how the opposition parties obstructed the construction of Ram Mandir. And, if the opposition chooses to support the Ram Temple ordinance then it would pave the way for the construction of the Ram Temple then the BJP would claim that it’s the BJP government which constructed the Ram Mandir and not the anti-Hindu opposition parties. It would also provide a major boost in solidifying BJP’s position and electoral prospects in 2019. Overall, it would be a win-win situation for the BJP.
If the BJP brings Ram Temple ordinance then that would be a decider of the BJP’s fate in the upcoming 2019 General elections. The spiritual leaders of Ayodhya have made it very clear that if the BJP doesn’t fulfil its promise to construct Ram Temple in Ayodhya then they should not expect their support.
The Ram Mandir is not just a temple. It is a symbol of faith and struggle. A struggle to fight back, restore and preserve the faith. A Ram Mandir would also put Ayodhya on a fast track of growth and development. It would completely change the face of Ayodhya forever and Ayodhya would get back its rightful place in the conscience of Indians worldwide.
