Hindu saints target judiciary on Ram temple

After RSS, it was the turn of Hindu saints to vent their anger on the Supreme Court for refusing an early hearing on the Ayodhya Ram temple-Babri masjid land dispute.

BJP general secretary Ram Madhav, speaking at a different forum, said it is the responsibility of all institutions, including the judiciary, to ensure the issue does not turn into a political fight.

The two-day "Dharmadesh” meet of saints in the national capital saw angry outbursts backed by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, which is spearheading the Ram temple cause.

“The judiciary will not facilitate temple construction because anti-temple people are in the judiciary for 70 years,” said Jain Muni Gupti Sagar.

Ratcheting it up further, Swami Jitendrananda Saraswati, national general secretary of Ganga Mahasabha said: “Judge sahib, what is your priority. We all have rights to ask you questions.

Giving a clear indication of hardening of stance, he also said, “If you (Muslims) hold a Sharia court (a Muslim court according to Shariyat), we will hold a Kesharia (saffron) court.

Swami Chinmayananda, former junior minister in the Vajpayee government said, “We cannot wait for the court (decision on Ram temple)…The court does not want to take a decision.”

RSS fans fire

The Hindu saints remarks were provoked by the RSS' observation at its three-day meet in Maharashtra that Hindus were feeling "insulted" by the Supreme Court's declaration that the Ayodhya temple issue is “not a priority” and insisted on taking the ordinance route if all options fail.

The Supreme Court on Monday, while hearing the matter on Ayodhya, pushed the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid land dispute cases to the first week of January next year. A bench presided over by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi had declined an early hearing saying, “We have our own priorities.”

DH News Service