Political row kicks in over inclusion of Babri accused in Ram Temple Trust

A day after the the Ram Temple Trust elected its top office bearers to speed up the temple construction work at Ayodhya, political sparring began over those included in the panel even as the main Opposition party Congress tried to wriggle out of the issue.

AAP, which last week won Delhi polls for the third consecutive term even after a highly-polarised election campaign gave a new twist asking the trust to also build a grand Hanuman statue at Ayodhya.

A day after the trust’s first meeting, VHP general secretary Milind Parande hailed the trust’s “comprehensive and dynamic work.”

In the meeting on Wednesday, the Trust had passed nine proposals, apart from thanking all those ‘engaged in Ram Janmabhoomi movement and 77 fights for the temple since 1528.”

Recalling that the Supreme Court had called the demolition of Babri a national shame, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi commented tersely on the appointment of Mahanth Nritya Gopal Das as its President, posted a tweet laced with sarcasm.

“This is the sequel. An SC-created body, constituted by the government has appointed as its president a man who is accused of demolishing Babri. Welcome to New India, where criminal acts are rewarded,” Owaisi said. His remarks drew a flurry of reactions on the social media site with some strongly justifying the appointments in the trust saying it is only natural that those who fought for the temple will be included in it.

Mahanth Nritya Gopal Das and Champat Rai, who were appointed as President and General Secretary in the trust, accused in the criminal conspiracy case relating to the demolition of the disputed structure in Ayodhya, are currently out on bail.

Das meanwhile asserted that the temple construction work would begin within next two to four months. The temple is likely to three-four years to complete and could be inaugurated before 2024 Lok Sabha polls. "On the one hand (At Centre) is Modi and on the other (in UP) is Yogi. When will the temple be constructed if not now," Das has said.

At the AICC briefing, Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala, when asked to comment on Owaisi’s comments, asked for not paying much attention to what he says.

“Because he only and only the B Team of BJP. He does only what suits the BJP. This tendency to make everything Hindu versus Muslim is not good. Hence it will be good for the nation’s progress less attention is paid to what either the BJP or its friends like Owaisi keep on commenting,” Surjewala said.

Congress chose to play safe on the issue even as one of its oldest ally in NCP on Wednesday asked the Centre to form a similar trust for building the mosque in Ayodhya. NCP boss Sharad Pawar had reminded the government that the country belongs to everyone.

Curiously days after AAP’s third consecutive win in Delhi polls during which Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal spoke of his Hanuman Bhakti, AAP spokesperson Saurabh Bhardwaj said he would make a formal request to the Ram Janmabhoomi Trust to build a grand statue of Lord Hanuman at Ayodhya.