Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad favours consensus on Ram temple issue

On Swamy saying that the proposed Ram temple in Ayodhya “will be built on the decided land only”, the Congress general secretary said “Swamy’s past track has not been good, as he never does what he says”.

Claiming that former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi had promised him of support for the construction of Ram mandir at Ayodhya, Swamy appealed to Congress to come forward and support the cause. “Rahul too should have change of heart”, Jain said.

BJP leader Subramanian Swamy delivered the inaugural address for the seminar titled Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Temple: Emerging Scenario which is being organised by Arundhati Vashishtha Anusandhan Peeth (AVAP), a research organisation founded by late VHP leader Ashok Singhal. He had also said in his campaign for 1989 elections that there should be Ram Rajya in the country.

The protesters including that from left-affiliated student wings AISA, DSF, SFI and Congress-affiliate NSUI, staged demonstrations outside the protest venue and were detained later.

The day senior BJP leader Subramanian Swami claimed that the construction of Ram temple will start by the end of 2016, BJP MP from Unnao, Sakshi Maharaj announced that the party will go to the 2019 Lok Sabha polls after constructing a grand Ram temple at Ayodhya.

The SP and the BJP have officially maintained the dispute has to be settled by the Supreme Court.

“When we can honour and respect Quran and Mecca and Madina, why is there opposition to construction of Ram temple”, he asked.

He also lashed out at those opposing a seminar on Ram Janmabhoomi in the Delhi University campus yesterday and dubbed the protests as “intolerance”.

In his statement to a daily, Swamy said, “Suppose we don’t do it this year, the next year is the election and then we have to do it the following year which is 2018”.

Swamy held a seminar in DU on Saturday on the issue.