SC judge ‘belittled’ Hindus, says RSS leader after ‘delay’ in Ram temple case hearing

A file image of Indresh Kumar | Facebook

Indresh Kumar, chief of RSS’ Muslim Manch, says Supreme Court decision to hear Ram temple case in January is ‘a mockery of democracy’.

New Delhi: Senior RSS functionary Indresh Kumar Sunday waded into the controversy over the Supreme Court ruling on Ayodhya, saying that Hindus had been “belittled” by the decision of “one Supreme Court judge”.

Kumar, the president of the RSS’ Muslim Rashtriya Manch, was referring to Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi.

“Because of one judge, the fundamental rights of Hindus have been infringed upon, and when that happens, the government or the ruler has to ensure justice,” Kumar told ThePrint.

The decision of this one judge, he added, had delayed and denied justice for Hindus, who were hoping for the construction of a Ram Temple in Ayodhya.  “The court’s decision is a mockery of democracy,” he said.

Last month, the Supreme Court, observing that it has its “own priorities,” delayed the hearings of the Ayodhya matter and ordered the listing of appeals before an “appropriate bench” in the first week of January 2019 to fix a date for a hearing.

The court’s decision led to a flurry of reactions, particularly from the RSS, which said the court had “insulted” Hindus by delaying the matter, and not taking it up with the urgency it demanded.

‘Even SC judges privately say govt can bring in law’

In the wake of the court ruling, Kumar said the only viable option right now is for Parliament to bring in a law.

Asked if the government could bring about a law on a matter that is still sub-judice, Kumar said even Supreme Court judges privately say that the government can bring in legislation for the construction of the Ram Temple.

The government could consider both the ordinance route or bring in a bill in the winter session of Parliament, he said.

Kumar, however, said that the government need not follow a “timeline” to formulate the law, and it could happen before or after the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

“There is no timeline, the Supreme Court had a timeline, and people were waiting patiently but look what happened,” Kumar said. “It is up to the lawmakers.”

The RSS functionary also said that even some Muslims want the temple. “Even sections of the Muslim population want the Ram Temple to be constructed, so the whole country wants the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, and everyone is feeling let down,” he said.

Earlier this week, the RSS had said it would launch a 1992-like agitation “if needed” to that the Ram temple is constructed in Ayodhya.