After playing ‘Temple run’, Janeudhari Pandit card, and embracing ‘Cow’, the Congress party now wants to build a grand Ram Temple in Ayodhya. On Wednesday, ahead of Rajasthan assembly elections, senior Congress leader CP Joshi claimed that it is only under a Congress Prime Minister that promise of building a Ram Temple in Ayodhya would be delivered.
Speaking to News18 Rajasthan, Joshi made a mention of controversial chapter from Congress’ past and said, “It was Rajiv Gandhi who opened the lock of the Babri Masjid premise and allowed religious rites inside the disputed structure. Only a Congress prime minister can get the temple built.”
Mandir wahi banayenge ,— Only a Congress PM can build Ram Temple in Ayodhya, says CP Joshi ahead of Rajasthan Assembly polls https://t.co/cgkrTcSwUc
— Harini Calamur (@calamur) November 21, 2018
He also attacked saffron party for doing politics over Ram Mandir. CP Joshi also said, “The BJP cannot build Ram Temple, they can only extract votes out of this issue. We are saying this today let the title dispute settle, the case of civil suit is going on. Lawyers are well educated.” He also added, “What can Prime Minister do until the Supreme Court announces its decision on title dispute.”
The transformation of the Congress from denying existence of Bhagwan Ram to constructing a Ram Temple is quite interesting. In the 2008, the Congress had filed an affidavit, the party in its affidavit had said that it had its doubts on the existence Lord Ram and their link with Ram Setu. During the UPA rule in 2005, the government approved the multi-million dollar Sethusamudram Shipping Cannal Project to create a ship channel across the Palk Strait by dredging the shallow ocean floor at Dhanushkodi. The Project was believed to cut off the voyage around Sri Lanka. The ships could save 30 hour of journey by passing through the shipping channel to travel from Bay of Bengal to Indian Ocean and vice versa. In 2007, ASI and UPA govt. informed the Supreme Court in an affidavit that there is no proof that Ram ever existed and he built the bridge.
Hindu outfits and political parties like BJP, strongly protested against the project claiming that it would hurt Hindu sentiments. The UPA played a dirty trick and modified the affidavit by saying that Ram indeed built the bridge and later destroyed it himself when his task was over. By saying this, they tried to convey that the current structure called Ram Setu is not the original Ram Setu and hence, it can be destroyed. Dr. Subramanian Swamy fought legal battle and brought the stay on the demolition of Ram Setu when the past impotent government almost planted explosives on it in 2008. In 2015, Dr. Swamy told the SC that cabinet of Modi govt. has decided not to touch Ram Setu for any project. On Nov 22 2017, GoI decided not to carry on the original Sethusamdram Shipping Channel Project that could hamper the Ram Setu.
It is the BJP and its leaders who are openly demanding for early construction of Ram Temple in Ayodhya. Some BJP leaders even asked the government to take the ordinance route to commence the construction of Ram Temple. On the other hand, Congress leaders do not explicitly back the demand for construction of Ram Temple in Ayodhya. They usually say, “We will abide by the Supreme Court judgment.” Congress leader CP Joshi’s new found love for Ram Temple is clearly electoral.
