PM should promise Ram temple for our support in UP polls, says chief priest

The seers will support BJP in the upcoming UP elections only if Prime Minister Narendra Modi promises to get the Ram temple constructed in Ayodhya during his tenure, the chief priest of the makeshift temple at the Ram Janm Bhumi-Babri Masjid disputed site said here.

The chief priest, Acharya Satyendra Das, said that 'mahanat' and 'sadhu' are believers of Lord Rama and their only wish is to see a grand Ram temple in Ayodhya.

"After Modi government took over, we hoped that now the temple would be constructed.

"Modi must visit Ayodhya, give us a guarantee and announce that that he will get the Ram temple constructed during his tenure," said Das.

"Then we will mobilise the Hindu masses to vote for BJP as 'mahant' and 'sadhu' in Uttar Pradesh enjoy a strong following. If we support BJP, it will definitely win," he said.

Reacting to Das' demand, the Mahant of Rasik Niwas temple in Ayodhya, Raghuvar Sharan, alleged that the BJP leaders who gained politically due to the Ayodhya Ram temple movement never raised the issue in Parliament.

"The BJP leaders, who rose to politics due to Ayodhya issue including Lal Krishna Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi, Vinay Katiyar and Uma Bharti, are all members of Parliament," he said.

"They never raised their voice for Ram temple in the House, neither did they demand that Prime Minister Modi bring a resolution in Parliament for construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya," Sharan said.