Yogi backs saints on Ram temple issue

Amid a clamour by saints for construction of Ram temple, who virtually put the BJP on notice on the issue ahead of the next Lok Sabha polls in 2019, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath sought to placate them by declaring that he fully supported their sentiment. He, however, cautioned them against falling prey to the ''conspiracy'' of rivals on this issue.

Adityanath, who visited the temple town of Ayodhya for the sixth time since assuming charge of the state in March last year, said at a function to celebrate the 80th birthday of Ram Janambhoomi Trust Mahant Nritya Gopal Das on Monday, that no party or government could bypass the judiciary in a democratic country.

Adityanath's remarks came in the wake of angry outbursts by many saints on the temple issue.

Former BJP MP Ram Vilas Vedanti said Ram temple construction would ''begin'' by the end of this year. ''Ram temple construction will start before 2019 LS polls...BJP chief ministers, MPs and MLAs...all want this.....the preparations are on,'' Vedanti, a member of the Ram Janambhoomi Trust, said.

He also claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi would be paying obeisance at the makeshift Ram Temple at Ayodhya before the next general elections.

No more excuses

Suresh Das, a mahant with Digamber Akhara, said the BJP had no ''excuse'' to ''delay'' Ram temple construction.

A cautious Adityanath, however, sought to blame his political rivals for raking up the issue of Ram temple. ''We all are with the saints on the Ram temple issue but we should also understand that there is a conspiracy by our rivals to rake up the issue,'' he said.

''Isn't it strange that those (Congress), who sought postponement of the Ram Janambhoomi case hearing till the completion of 2019 LS polls, are now asking us about temple construction,'' he remarked.

''Have some patience...the matter is nearing a resolution...it can only be resolved in a constitutional manner,'' Adityanath added.