Ahead of the Supreme Court verdict on the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid title suit, likely to be pronounced before November 17, Bharatiya Janata Party’s former firebrand parliamentarian Vinay Katiyar sprang a surprise by declaring to pursue the “unfinished agenda” of Kashi and Mathura once the Ayodhya verdict was out.
The former Lok Sabha member from Faizabad is a key accused in the case relating to demolition of Babri Masjid at Ayodhya on December 6, 1992.
Recently, the Faizabad district was renamed as Ayodhya by the Yogi Adityanath government.
“We are waiting for the Supreme Court verdict on Ayodhya. After that, we will build Ram temple in Ayodhya and then also move towards liberating Kashi and Mathura temples,” Katiyar said in Lucknow on Monday.
Katiyar’s comments came at a time when both the BJP-led governments at the Centre and in UP and also the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh are exercising maximum restraint on commenting on the matter for maintaining communal harmony and peace in the country. However, adding fuel to the fire, Katiyar added, “If the apex court does not rule in our favour, we are ready to make more sacrifices.”
Katiyar has been one of the major faces of Ram temple movement. He was indicted for the demolition of the Babri mosque along with prominent BJP leaders like LK Advani, Uma Bharti, Murli Manohar Joshi and Kalyan Singh. The criminal case against the demolition accused is pending before a special CBI court in Lucknow.
Katiyar’s statement also assume significance as historically, Kashi and Mathura have been on the agenda of RSS affiliate Vishwa Hindu Parishad. The issue was, however, pushed to the back burner for political reasons.
Until last year, the RSS led a fiercely aggressive campaign for the construction of Ram temple at the disputed site and launched a nation-wide stir, and organised a Dharma Sabha at Ayodhya, demanding that the government bring an ordinance to pave way for the temple.
This changed in mid-2019, when the Supreme Court hearing on the matter gained momentum. The RSS is now eager to ensure that the verdict is accepted by all in a cordial atmosphere.
Recently, the RSS sent out a clear message to all within the Hindutva umbrella by appealing through a tweet to exercise restraint ahead of the Ayodhya verdict, adding that the court decision must be accepted by all.
The BJP too has directed all its leaders to avoid commenting on Ayodhya title dispute case.