In its disparate bid to come back to power under its hardcore leader Narendra Modi, the BJP is going out to please everyone, but burn the bridges with its umblical cord, the RSS, saying constructing a temple at Ayodhya is no longer its political objective.
Party president Rajnath Singh Sunday downplayed the issue of Ram temple in Ayodhya, a day after Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi’s close aide and party general secretary Amit Shah’s visit to Ayodhya during which he said he prayed for a “grand temple” to be built there “as soon as possible”. “Yes, I heard Shah’s statement. Being a Hindu, he had gone for Lord Ram’s blessings and expressed his desire for the temple just as any Christian, Muslim or Sikh would want to have at his place of worship,” Rajnath told reporters while presiding over the two-day Punjab BJP’s executive meeting.
While advising not to politicize the issue of Ram temple, the BJP chief said it is not a political but a national issue. However, he was quick to add that since the Ram temple issue was subjudice, everyone must wait for the Supreme Court verdict. The BJP may not find support from the Shiromani Akali Dal, its key partner in NDA, over the subject of the Ram temple due to ideological differences. Punjab CM and patron of SAD Parkash Singh Badal said, “we have a political alliance with the BJP and we are close friends but Ram temple is not our issue.” He also reiterated that he won’t be in the running for the post of the NDA convener.
Rajnath’s comment came even as the party’s UP in-charge and Modi confident Amit Shah visited Gorakhpur and held closed-door deliberations with MP and firebrand Hindutva leader Yogi Adityanath Sunday. Yogi is a vociferous campaigner of the Ram temple at Ayodhya. The 90-minute meeting was held at Gorakhnath temple residence of Yogi. Political experts view Shah’s visits to Ayodhya and Gorakhpur as BJP’s bid to get back to its core issue of Hindutva ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.
