The politically sensitive temple issue figured in the BJP’s Parliamentary Party meeting on Tuesday with some of the members wanting to know the timeline for its construction at the disputed site at Ayodhya. The meet also discussed Triple talaq and Rafale deal.
The meeting was held in the absence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and party president Amit Shah. Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh addressed the meet, the second of the current Winter Session.
BJP’s MPs from UP, Ravindra Kushwaha and Hari Narayan Rajbhar, raised the temple issue which is part of party’s manifesto, and were backed by other MPs when Rajnath was addressing the party MPs.
The Home Minister was quoted by sources as telling party MPs that it was everybody’s wish to see a Ram temple in Ayodhya and that MPs should be patient.
RSS head Mohan Bhagwat had recently called for the construction of Ram temple saying that its fulfillment would remove one of the main constraints in way of Hindu-Muslim rapprochement. RSS has advocated a law to facilitate the construction of the temple.
Though the BJP has agreed with the sentiments of these organisations, it has so far not officially spoken on the subject.
Supreme court which is hearing the title suit for in the Ram-temple-Babri Masjid dispute is expected to fix time-table for the hearing of the trail early next year when Lok Sabha poll are also be due.
In the meeting Rajnath spoke about the high popularity of Modi and claimed that none in the Opposition could match it. “We are far ahead of the Opposition. Circumstances are very good for us,” Parliamentary Affairs Minister Narendra Singh Tomar Singh quoted.
Rajnath asked MPs to work hard to repeat the success of the BJP in the 2019 hustings.
The issue of BJP’s defeat in Assembly polls — Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh — was, understandably, not deliberated in the gathering. The poll set back in the Hindi heartland has come when the crucial Lok Sabha polls are only few months away and pose a big challenge to the leadership of Modi and Shah. The grand alliance of the Opposition which is yet to take shape, seeks to have state-to-state tie up against the BJP in the Lok Sabha poll.
Tomar also told newsperson s that the passage of the triple talaq bill, which stipulates jail term for Muslim espouses accused of giving instant divorce to their wives, in Parliament is a top priority for the Government. The Opposition has opposed to the non-bailable warrants against husbands. The Government has brought some changes in the bill stipulating bail to Muslim husbands by the court if consented by the affected wives.
