The head priest of the makeshift Ram temple in Ayodhya, said it was high time the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came forward to build the temple.
Spiritual leaders have reiterated the demand for an ordinance to be introduced at the earliest after a mega event was held in Bengaluru, Nagpur, and Ayodhya to muster support for the construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya -- Lord Ram's 'janmabhoomi' (birthplace).
VHP's Dharma Sabha was touted as the largest congregation of Ram bhakts in Ayodhya since the 1992 kar seva, with the Hindu outfit claiming a large number of people attending it on Sunday.
Speaking to ANI, Acharya Satyendra Das, the head priest of the makeshift Ram temple in Ayodhya, said it was high time the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came forward to build the temple. "Until and unless (dates of) 2019 elections have not been announced and the model code of conduct has not been imposed, we are hopeful. If nothing happens, then a decision would be taken in this regard," he added.
Expressing dissatisfaction over the Supreme Court's decision to postpone Ram Janambhoomi-Babri Masjid title suit for hearing till January 2019, the priest said that the court should have listened to two sides -- the religious organisations and the litigants and accordingly taken a call.
"When we got to know that the matter would be taken in January 2019, we were very disappointed. The court should have listened to the people of these organisations and the litigants and a decision should have been taken. The government should have chipped in at that time. An ordinance should be brought at the earliest, there is no other way. Because we don't know how long the court will keep this case hanging. If the BJP had the willpower, then the Ram temple would be built in Ayodhya," he noted.
Echoing a similar stance, Mahant Nritya Gopal Das Maharaj, President of Sriram Janambhoomi Temple, also said the construction of the temple should start as soon as possible. "Wherever Lord Ram is present, Ram temple should be built. Prime Minister (Narendra Modi-led BJP government) should start the construction at the earliest."
The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), VHP and Shiv Sena organised events in Ayodhya, Nagpur, and Bengaluru on Sunday to gain support for the construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya and mount pressure on the central government to facilitate the temple construction, which is currently sub-judice in the Supreme Court.
While the event was perceived as the beginning of a movement to mount pressure on the government, Mohammad Iqbal Ansari, one of the petitioners of the Babri Masjid case, expressed faith in the government's judgement.
"Those people coming from outside and the saints are doing their work, we have no issues. The government is taking note of it. We have faith in the government. It will do what it deems fit. I don't have a problem with anything. We believe in the law and the government," he opined.
On October 29, the Supreme Court had adjourned the Ram Janambhoomi-Babri Masjid title suit till January 2019 to fix the next hearing date in the matter, challenging the Allahabad High Court ruling of 2010.
The Allahabad High Court in its 2010 verdict had suggested the division of the disputed land in Ayodhya, one for each of the parties the Nirmohi Akhara, the Sunni Waqf Board and Ram Lalla.
It is believed that the Babri Masjid, which was constructed by Mughal emperor Babur in Ayodhya in 1528, was allegedly demolished by Hindu activists on December 6, 1992, who claimed that the mosque was built after demolishing a Ram temple that stood there.
(With inputs from agencies)