Ram Temple Delay Making Hindu Community Anxious, Says BJP's Ram Madhav

A day after the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh warned that Hindus would not shy away from launching a 1992-like mass agitation for a Ram temple at Ayodhya, BJP General Secretary Ram Madhav today said the delay in the construction of the temple is causing anxiety among the Hindu community. 

"The Supreme Court had itself spoken about holding hearings on the issue from October 29 in front of a fresh bench. Now the Supreme Court is saying the bench will be hear it three months later, in January. The Hindu community and all the organisations supporting Ram Mandir are anxious. The RSS has articulated that," Mr Madhav told news agency ANI, when asked about RSS general secretary Bhaiyyaji Joshi's comments yesterday.

Bhaiyyaji Joshi, after the conclusion of a three-day national executive body meeting of the RSS in Maharashtra's Thane, had said yesterday, "Will not hesitate to launch an agitation for Ram temple, if needed, but since the matter is in the Supreme Court, there are restrictions." 

Mr Joshi had also termed the Supreme Court's decision to post the temple-mosque case to January as an "insult" to Hindu sentiments, and insisted that an ordinance would be needed if all options run out.

The top court, earlier this week, said the Ayodhya temple-mosque dispute will be taken up in the first week of January, in a short hearing that left the BJP facing calls from its leaders as well as hardline Hindu affiliates for an ordinance or special order to facilitate a Ram temple at the site.

"We have our own priorities," said Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi, rejecting an urgent hearing as the Uttar Pradesh government argued that it was a 100-year-old dispute that should be taken up on priority.

Some 14 petitions have challenged the Allahabad High Court's 2010 verdict partitioning the land into three, between the Sunni Waqf Board, the Nirmohi Akhara and Ram Lalla (infant Lord Ram, a party to the case).

The 16th century Babri mosque was razed in December 1992 by Hindu activists who believed it was built on the ruins of an ancient temple marking the birthplace of revered god-king Ram. For the BJP, which has treaded carefully between its promise of development and its core Ayodhya temple agenda, an early hearing could mean a chance to go to its loyal voters with extra credits.