Mayawati urges CEC to take cognisance of Ram temple remarks

 Lashing out at the BJP for raking up the Ram temple issue in the run-up to the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls, BSP chief Mayawati today urged the Chief Election Commissioner to take cognisance of the incident as the matter was pending in the Supreme Court.

"The BJP has accepted defeat and thus, its leaders are raking up religious issues and the Ram temple.

"They know that the construction of the Ram temple is not possible as the matter is still pending in the Supreme Court and yet, attaching the issue with government formation is an attempt to mislead the people," she said.

Mayawati urged the CEC to take cognisance of such statements as they were "in violation of the Model Code of Conduct as well as Supreme Court orders" and initiate strict action against the saffron party.

BJP Uttar Pradesh unit chief Keshav Prasad Maurya had earlier this week raked up the Ram temple issue saying a "grand" temple will be built in Ayodhya if the BJP managed to secure an outright majority in the upcoming Assembly polls.

Mounting an attack on the Narendra Modi-led Central government, Mayawati alleged, "About three years have passed and the Modi government has not been able to fulfil even one-fourth of its promises. That is why they took the decision of demonetisation to hide their failure.

"The people are angry with it (BJP) and will give it a befitting reply in the Assembly polls," she claimed while alleging that the BJP was "using religion to grab power".

As regards the ruling Samajwadi Party in the state, Mayawati claimed that it was in a "bad shape" which could be seen from the action of new SP chief Akhilesh Yadav who kicked off the poll campaign from Sultanpur where polling was due in the fifth phase whereas, the western districts were scheduled to go to polls in the first phase on February 11.