Murmurs of Ram Temple issue reach Rajasthan

With the Assembly elections in close sight, murmurs of the Ram Janmabhoomi–Babri Masjid dispute have reached Rajasthan, as both the Congress and BJP subtly try to bring the issue into the political scene here.

A few days ago, senior Congress leader and former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda said that if a Ram temple is built in Ayodhya, he too will light a 'deepak' (lamp) there.

In reaction to Hooda's statement, BJP spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi said, "Congress leader Shashi Tharoor has given a statement about 'bad Hindu' and 'good Hindu'. Hooda is saying he will go and light a lamp if the Ram temple is built. I would say please do not be a 'bad Hindu' ".

The Tharoor statement referred to here was one where he said no "good Hindu" would want the Ram Temple by demolishing someone else's place of worship.

Hooda's statement comes a week after an FIR was lodged against state minister Dhan Singh Rawat for asking "Hindus to vote for BJP", even as the Model Code of Conduct was in place.

State in-charge of BJP Prakash Javadekar later said that the Ram Mandir issue is not a poll plank for the BJP.

Speaking on the eve of Diwali, he said, "It has been an issue of the emotions of the people of the nation for 500 years".

He, too, had referred to the statement by Tharoor during a press conference when he asked the Congress whether it wanted a temple in Ayodhya, accusing the party of "double standards".