Use Parliament alternative for Ram temple: UP minister

Claiming there is "no opposition" to the construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya now, a senior minister in the Yogi Adityanath government on Thursday advocated achieving the aim through Parliament.

"Over 500 years ago, foreign invaders came to India and tried to ruin our cultural heritage. There should be a Ram temple in Ayodhya where Ramlala's idol is situated as it is a matter of faith of crores of Hindus. A lot of politics has been done over the issue," Uttar Pradesh government spokesperson and energy minister Shrikant Sharma told PTI.

"Why should there be a delay in construction of the temple?" he asked.

"The matter has already stretched for a long period. Now no politics should be done over it and the Parliament alternative should be seriously considered," he said.

Sharma appeared to be suggesting that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government should bring about a legislation for construction of the Ram temple.

His comments came after Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat earlier on Thursday said the government should clear the path for the construction of the "grand temple through an appropriate and requisite law.

The minister said there is no opposition to the temple's construction now as "those who were opposed are now chanting 'Jai Shri Ram' and 'Jai Bhole'".

"If they (Opposition) protest against the temple's construction, they will be exposed. Their fake reverence will be exposed," he said.

Sharma also criticised senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad's reported remark that the number of Hindu candidates inviting him for campaigning has reduced drastically as they are "afraid" of its impact on voters.

"Congress leaves no chance to humiliate Hindus. The problem lies in the Congress's DNA. It believes in division and spreading venom," he said.

He also attacked Azad over his allegations that the BJP is defaming the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) and targeting Kashmiri students.

"The AMU's students are ours. But if anti-India slogans are raised and they talk of dividing the country, then it will be taken care of. The Congress promotes elements doing this and the Jawaharlal Nehru University and the Hyderabad University are examples of this. There will be no such relaxation here," Sharma said.

Three Kashmiri students of the AMU were suspended and booked for sedition last week for allegedly raising "anti-India" slogans and trying to hold a prayer meeting for Hizbul Mujahideen commander Manan Bashir Wani, who was killed in an encounter in north Kashmir.

The varsity revoked the suspension of two students on Tuesday.