Will move Private Member’s Bill on Ram temple: Joshi

Dharwad MP Pralhad Joshi said he would bring a Private Member’s Bill in the ensuing Winter Session of Parliament demanding the construction of Ram temple at Ayodhya.

He gave this ‘assurance’ to the saints at the Janagraha convention organised by Vishwa Hindu Parishad in Hubballi on Sunday. He said he would also ask All India Congress Committee president Rahul Gandhi to clarify his stand on the temple issue during the Winter Session. BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi were in favour of constructing the Ram temple, he said.

Questioning the Chief Justice of India and Supreme court over its priority, Joshi said the apex court could open its doors at night to hear cases related to Naxals, who wish to kill Modi, hanging of terrorists and other issues.

But they don’t find the construction of temple important, he said and added that had the Supreme Court heard the case on priority, this situation of staging a protest would never have come.

The MP also said that if minorities were safe in India, it was because of Hindus who are, by birth, secular and tolerant.

“We worship more than three crore gods, it would not be difficult for us to accommodate another god, Allah, but we have a problem if you say worship only Allah,” he said.

At the Janagraha meet in Mangaluru, Pejawar seer Vishweshateertha Swami said time was now ripe to build the temple in Ayodhya. The government should convene a joint session of parliament, to pass a bill to build the temple, he said.

“We have waited for four and a half years during this tenure of the BJP government and we cannot wait longer. The prime minister should make a decision and get an ordinance promulgated,” the pontiff said.

He said if the Congress opposed the ordinance, it would have to face consequences in the elections.

The pontiff said that a delegation of seers would meet the prime minister and convince him on the need to build the temple. “If the government fails to make a decision by next Kumbh Mela in February, the conclave of seers will discuss further strategies to carry the temple movement forward,” the seer said.

DH News Service