Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi’s confidant and BJP’s Uttar Pradesh in-charge Amit Shah on Saturday brought the Ayodhya Ram temple issue back into limelight, which led to sharp reactions from the Congress, Samajwadi Party, JD(U) and left parties.
“I came to visit the Ram temple which is a centre of faith for crores of Hindus from around the world. After worshipping here I have prayed that good governance is established in the country and the nation gets rid of the Congress. I have also prayed that we together build a grand Ram temple here as soon as possible and restore lord Ram to his rightful place,” Shah said.
Shah’s remarks are seen as the BJP’s move to revive its fortunes in the Hindi heartland, which sends the maximum number of MPs to Parliament. It is also seen as an attempt to polarise the sentiments in its favour on issue which in the past had paid rich dividends in the party’s growth.
However, Shah’s remarks led to prompt reactions from all quarters. Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Rajiv Shukla said, “For the last 21 years, the BJP has done nothing on the Ram temple issue, even though it has been in power in the State and at the Centre. It is hilarious. The BJP rakes up Ram temple issue only when elections are around. Citizens of this country are cleaver and they won’t be influenced by BJP’s communal tactics.”
Expressing similar sentiments, External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid reminded that the Ayodhya matter is pending before the Supreme Court. Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari quipped, “It is surprising that a year before elections BJP starts missing lord Ram. They are trying to fool the people of India. Instead of following the ideology of Ravana, if the BJP leaders clean up their heart they would find Ram with in.”
Samajwadi Party leader Kamal Farooqui also flayed Shah saying, “Yes, Ram temple can be made, but elsewhere. It can’t be made at the disputed site and no one can do anything about it as the case is in Supreme Court.” However, Farooqui rejected the Congress demand that Shah be banned from entering Uttar Pradesh and said, “Amit Shah is a citizen of the country, how can we ban him in UPIJ If Congress is so keen, why don’t they ban him in DelhiIJ”
Erstwhile BJP ally JD(U)’s leader Shivanand Tiwari said that true face of the BJP has now been revealed by this statement. He said that Narendra Modi has been made BJP Campaign Committee chief to implement RSS agenda. His party president Sharad Yadav asserted that Ayodhya issue will be resolved either through court verdict or through negotiations between leaders of the two communities.
BJP president Rajnath Singh refused to comment on Shah’s statement but party spokesperson Meenakshi lekhi came to his defence. She reminded that the Ram temple construction has always been on the BJP’s agenda and even taunted those criticising Shah by saying, “At least we remember Ram and Rahim and not Ishrat Jahan.”