The realisation of the longstanding dream of ‘Ram Mandir’ which topped the manifesto chart of the Bhartiya Janata Party in 2019 is in reality more than just a political sloganeering for the current leadership at the helm of power. As most of the high in command have been associated with the temple movement since their adulthood days, the 2019 Supreme Court verdict that paved the way for the erection of grand Ram Mandir at the ‘Ram Janambhoomi site’ was like a childhood dream come true for them.
More so, it is owing to the ‘Ram Janambhoomi movement’ that the BJP rose to the ranks of power with the starting of the rath yatra in the 1990s. The name of “Bhagwan Ram” had been associated with the saffron party ever since. Evidently, the party had been garnering support of Ram bhakts in every election since the yatra first began September, 1990, under the leadership of the then BJP-President L.K Advani.
Ram Mandir inauguration date announced for the first time
Interestingly, the ‘Ram Janambhoomi’ movement which hit the limelight during the Presidency of L.K Adavi, is becoming a reality under the leadership of two of his disciples, Prime Minister Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah. Recently, the Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced that the Ram Mandir at Ayodhya will be ready for inauguration by January 1, 2024.
The statement came a day after Ram temple votaries in Ayodhya backed Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra. The statement of the Union Home Minister targeted the Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, as he made bold claims for the inauguration.
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Criticizing the Congress leader, Amit Shah said, “Friends, I have come to tell you one thing. In the 2019 elections, I was president of the party (BJP) and Rahul Baba was president of the Congress. Rahul Baba would say everyday ‘mandir wahin banayenge, tithi nahin batayenge (will build a temple there but will not tell you the date).”
Further, answering to Rahul Gandhi previous lamenting on the issue, Shah said, “Rahul Baba kaan khol kar sun lo, Sabroom walon aap bhi ticket kara lo (Listen, Rahul Baba, and people of Sabroom, book your tickets): On January 1, 2024, you will find a grand Ram temple ready in Ayodhya.”
Amit Shah went a step ahead and catechized the opposition for creating hurdles in the way of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya and lauded the leadership of Prime Minister Modi for facilitating the expeditious construction of the temple.
Addressing a rally in Tripura, Amit Shah said, “Since independence, the Congress has blocked the Ram Mandir issue. The Supreme Court verdict was issued after Prime Minister Modi came to power. Later, Prime Minister Modi performed Bhoomi Puja for the construction of the temple on August 5, 2020.
Ram Mandir inauguration remark receives infuriating retort
The stance of the Congress Party seems to not have changed over the years, and is believed by many to be inclined towards the minorities only. From the times of Jawaharlal Nehru, who advised the then President Rajendra Prasad to not visit the inauguration ceremony of the Somnath Temple post-Independence, to the resentment of the current Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, the anti-majority fervor of the party seems to have witnessed an upsurge. The Congress Party, which is believed to be a national party, has over the years mocked the BJP for its stance on Ram Temple.
Kharge’s lament of Shah’s remark
But despite the Supreme Court verdict of 2019 that paved the way for the Ram Mandir, the Congress party has continued to get infuriated over the remarks of BJP leaders with respect to the Ram Mandir. The grand old party seems to be over fascinated with its longstanding obvious stance on the issue.
The biased stance of the grand old party can be witnessed from the recent statement of the present Congress President Kharge, who retorted by hitting below the belt over the Ram Mandir inauguration remark of Home Minister Amit Shah. Kharge took a jibe at the mahant and priest culture of temples instead of focusing his attack on Amit Shah.
The Congress leader’s assertion dragged the sadhus and sants into debate for no reason. His anguish over the construction of the Temple was quite evident. Question Amit Shah, he said: “Are you the pujari of the Ram temple? Are you the mahant of the Ram temple? Let the mahants, sadhus and sants talk about it.”
Read more: HDK compares Ram Mandir donation receipts with branding David’s Star on Jew homes during Holocaust
However, Congress party is not alone in lamenting over the construction of the Ram Mandir. The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) party President Jagadanand Singh has ignited a new controversy by asserting that the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya is being built on ‘nafrat ki zameen’ (land of hatred).
He further asserted, “Ram temple is being built on the land of hatred. Ram cannot be imprisoned in a magnificent palace…We are the people who believe in ‘Hey Ram’ and not ‘Jai Shri Ram’.” Such statements highlight that the political discourse of the nation has stooped to a new low, with leaders mocked ‘Hindu Gods’ at their whims and fancies’ for their political gains.
Al-Qaeda’s blatant threat to demolish Ram Mandir
The statements of these opposition leaders seem to be in sync with the statements of Al-Qaeda that has threatened in the latest issue of ‘Ghazwa-e-Hind’ journal that it will demolish the Ram temple of Ayodhya and replace it with a mosque.
The editorial read, “Just as the Ram temple is being built on the ruins of the Babri Masjid, it will be demolished, and the Babri Masjid will be rebuilt over the place of the idols in the name of Allah. All it demands is sacrifice.”
The statements of the terrorist organization highlights their anguish over the construction of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. But the irony of the matter is that a similar discourse is being pushed from within the nation with pessimistic sloganeering like ‘nafrat ki zameen’ and others being propagated for the construction of the Holy Shrine in Ayodhya.
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