RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat insists that Ram temple will be definitely be built but protests erupt at Kumbh venue over Modi govt’s ‘inaction’ on the issue.
Lucknow: RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat Friday urged members of Right-wing outfits to give the Modi government a longer leash, to build a Ram temple in Ayodhya, insisting that it will “definitely be” built.
“The (BJP) government should not face difficulty from our andolan (struggle) but should receive help… This way, the temple will be constructed quickly,” Bhagwat said during the second day of the VHP’s dharma sansad at the Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj.
“Irrespective of political upheavals, I am telling you on the basis of your blessings, our work and public sentiment, the temple will definitely be made… There is no reason to be disappointed.”
His comments come in the wake of Swaroopanand Saraswati, head of the Param Dharam Sansad, declaring at the gathering that the foundation stone of the temple will be laid on 21 February.
Moments after Bhagwat’s address, however, there was high drama at the venue as over a dozen men created a ruckus, shouting “tarikh (a date), tarikh” amid chants of Jai Sri Ram.
The men were protesting the ‘inaction’ of the Modi government over the issue.
“I had voted (for Modi) in 2014 because incompetent people had been occupying this throne for 72 years. This great hardworking man in the name of Hindutva said that he would create a grand Ram temple,” said one of the protesters, Kamlesh Kumar, a resident of Bihar.
“They are now claiming to be waiting for some auspicious date for constructing the temple. By dangling that promise, they are just using us and Lord Ram for votes.”
Kumar, along with around 10-12 other men, was later jostled out of the dharma sansad venue.
Also read: At Kumbh meet, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat attacks SC over Sabarimala verdict
‘India a Hindu country’
Earlier in his speech, Bhagwat, while addressing the gathering of seers and Hindu right-wing workers, credited the BJP government for the Citizenship Amendment Bill, 2019, which seeks to amend the Citizenship Act, 1955, to make illegal immigrants who are Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan, eligible for Indian citizenship.
“The country belongs to Hindus and those who are driven out of neighbouring countries can come and become citizens here,” Bhagwat said. “This government is the first one to bring in such a law.”
Claiming that the Ram mandir in the form presented to people would be constructed, Bhagwat said, “Keeping this important fact in mind, in the coming 4-6 months, we should think about our programme, remember our demands…I believe that if something happens before these 4-6 months, it’s a good thing but after that, it will definitely happen and all of us will see that.”