Build Ram Temple or lose power
Shiv Sena warns BJP-led govt as tens of thousands Hindu hardliners rally in Ayodhya
Udhav Thackeray, the president of right-wing political party Shiv Sena in India's Maharashtra, yesterday said BJP will not be able to return to power in next year's general elections if it failed to fulfil its commitment of building the "Rama Temple" in Ayodhya.
Shiv Sena is one of the ruling parties in Maharashtra along with the BJP, and a long standing constituent of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) led by the BJP at the Centre.
Over 200,000 Hindu saints and supporters have reportedly congregated in Ayodhya yesterday for a "Dharam Sansad" (Religious Parliament) to give a call, and also put pressure on the central government to build the "Rama Temple" in Ayodhya, the birth place of Hindus' "Lord Rama".
Security measures were beefed up, with some 5,000 additional police deployed to protest areas in Ayodhya, where an ancient mosque was razed in 1992 sparking deadly riots.
"BJP will not be able to form a government next time if the temple is not built, but the 'Rama temple' will be built," Thackeray told media persons in Ayodhya, adding that the current government headed by Narendra Modi was a strong government and could easily build the temple by taking a strong-willed move.
The issue of "Rama Temple" has been pending in the country's Supreme Court.
Right-wing group Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) was holding parallel programmes in Ayodhya yesterday, demanding that the government fast-track the construction of the temple.
After opposition parties, even BJP allies on Saturday demanded deployment of the Army in Ayodhya in light of the massive VHP rally. Regional spokesman of VHP Sharad Sharma however said the Dharam Sabha will be a peaceful one.
Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh BJP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday announced key details of the Ram statue it plans to build on the banks of the Sarayu river. The statue is expected to measure 221 metres - topping even the famed Statue of Unity in Gujarat.
Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati slammed the BJP and the Shiv Sena on Saturday for raking up the Ram temple issue ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, alleging it to be a "political tactic" to divert attention from their failures.