Ayodhya: Seers united on Ram temple but divided by pol

Vishwa Hindu Parishad sponsored 'dharm sabha' in Ayodhya on Sunday may have partially succeeded in bringing back the Ram Temple issue on the centre stage ahead of next year's Lok Sabha elections but it also brought to the fore the differences among seers and saints on how to go about the issue.

While a section of the saints favoured adopting an aggressive approach on the issue and taking on the BJP for ''betraying'' the 'Rambhakts', another section of the seers, especially those owing allegiance to VHP, appeared to be more cautious and appealed for restraint.

Chinks appeared even among the seers, who attended Sunday's 'dharm sabha', and one prominent saint Swami Rambhadracharya, who claimed that a senior Union minister had assured him that ''a very important decision'' about Ram Temple would be taken by the Centre after December 11, left the stage midway the meeting accusing another seer of calling the former a ''liar'' albeit indirectly.

Rambhadracharya also attacked Sadhvi Ritambhara, who had been associated with the Ram Temple movement, and accused her of ''accepting benefits'' from the government.

An equally vocal section of the saints, who were opposed to the BJP, termed the 'dharm sabha' a ''political gimmick'' of the VHP to ''help'' the saffron party in the next general elections in 2019.

Interestingly every section of the saint community was ''unanimous'' on building a grand Ram temple on the disputed site but they appeared to be divided on how to get the temple constructed.

''There is no need to talk to the Muslim parties any more....the government should immediately clear the way for temple construction through a legislation or an ordinance,'' said Mahant Kanahiyadas at 'dharm sabha'.

On the other hand, Mahant Dharm Das, a prominent Ayodhya based seer, said that Ram temple should be constructed either through the order of the court or through negotiations with the Muslim parties.

''Dharm sabha is nothing but an electoral drama of the VHP...we can not snatch away someone's right by amassing crowd,'' he remarked.

Mahant Dinendra Das, the representative of Nirmohi Akhara, which was one of the Hindu plaintiffs in the Ram Janambhoomi Babri Masjid Title suits, which is currently pending in the Supreme Court, slammed the VHP for demanding ownership of the disputed land.

''VHP is not even a party in the case... it has no locus standi... VHP is serving the interest of the BJP,'' he said.