New Delhi, November 4: Union minister Uma Bharti said on Sunday although Hindus were the “most tolerant” people in the world, any talk of constructing a mosque on the periphery of a Ram temple in Ayodhya could make them angry.
The minister also invited Congress chief Rahul Gandhi to lay the foundation stone of the temple in Ayodhya with her, saying he would “atone for the sins” of his party by doing so.
“Hindus are the most tolerant community in the world. I will appeal to all politicians: please don’t make Hindus intolerant by talking about building a mosque on the outer periphery of the birthplace of Lord Ram in Ayodhya,” Bharti said.
She said when there could not be a temple in the holy town of Medina or a mosque in the Vatican City, it would be “unfair” to talk about a mosque in Ayodhya.
Describing the Ayodhya dispute as one of land and not faith, the firebrand Hindu leader said: “This is now only a matter of dispute of land, not dispute of faith. It has been resolved that Ayodhya is the birth place of Lord Ram”.
She also stressed the need for an out-of-court settlement of the contentious issue, and urged all political leaders—including Gandhi, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav, BSP leader Mayawati and TMC chief Mamata Banerjee—to support this.
“We need support of all political parties on this issue. I invite all leaders including, Rahul Gandhiji, come let’s lay the foundation stone of the Ram temple with me,” Bharti said.
By doing so, the Gandhi-scion could atone for the past sins of the Congress, which always created “hurdles” in building the temple in Ayodhya, she said.
Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh, Banerjee, Mayawati and the Left parties should support the BJP on this issue as it is of national interest, she said.
“But they aren’t letting the matter get resolved. The Congress will have to quit the habit of dividing the country in the name of religion,” Bharti said, reiterating that all political parties should unite on this issue.
Bharti, who had participated in the Ram Janmabhoomi movement of the 1990s, said she was fully committed to the construction of Ram temple.
“If they tell me that Ram Mandir will be built only over my dead body, then so be it,” she said.
Uma Bharti is one of several leaders facing trial for the demolition of Babri Masjid in 1992.
‘No stopping Ram Temple’
Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya said on Sunday that “no power could stop” construction of the Ram Temple.
Although saying he could not comment because the title dispute was still sub-judice, he said his party the Bharatiya Janata Party “was, is and will always” favour construction of the temple in Ayodhya.
He quickly added: “We can tell for certain in one line that a grand Ram temple would be constructed whenever time comes”.
He was responding to queries about a congregation of religious seers in Delhi who have called on the central government for an ordinance to construct the temple.
“As on date, the matter is pending with the Supreme Court and its verdict is awaited,” he said. “What we can firmly assure (people) is that not even a brick in the name of Babar would be laid or allowed to be laid at the birthplace of Ramlala”.
He also took a swipe at Congress president Rahul Gadhi, but didn’t name him.
“The people are realising the ‘asaliyat’ and ‘nakaliyat’ (what is genuine and what is fake) of those who are attempting to cheat the Hindu community by putting on ‘janev’ (religious thread),” he said, referring to an old statement the Congress had made in defence of its president Rahul Gandhi.
“The Congress must explain as to why it wanted the case to be heard in 2019,” he added. PTI/Agencies
