Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday, 25 November said that the Congress did not want the Ayodhya case to be heard in the Supreme Court till 2019 and alleged that Congress’ lawmakers threaten the judges hearing the case with impeachment motion.
PM Modi was addressing a rally in Alwar in the poll bound state of Rajasthan.
“When the Ayodhya case was being heard in the Supreme Court, Congress leaders and their Rajya Sabha MPs said that the case should not be heard till 2019, since the country is going to polls that year. Is it correct to drag the judiciary in politics like this? ” he said.
“Whenever any judge of the Supreme Court gets closer to delivering justice in the Ayodhya case – a case that is so serious and sentimental – Congress’ lawmakers threaten them with impeachment motions,” he said.
Political Potboiler
PM Modi’s comments come amidst a political potboiler in Ayodhya through the weekend with the Shiv Sen and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) both holding rallies in the city.
BJP’s bickering ally and Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray alleged that the BJP wants the matter to drag for political gains.
“If you (BJP) had to go to a court (on the issue of Ram temple), then you shouldn’t have raked up the matter in your election campaigns and manifestos. You should have clearly said that ‘bhaiyyon aur behno’, please forgive us; this is yet another jumla by us. I have come to tell you not play with the sentiments of Hindus.” said Thackeray in a scathing attack.
The VHP, too, took a subtle dig at the ruling government.
VHP’s national vice-president Champat Rai while addressing a gathering in Ayodhya said that some “intelligent people need to be reminded” of the temple construction.
“The mobilisation you see today, is just from 45 districts of Uttar Pradesh. Some intelligent people of this country need to be reminded that issue of Ram temple didn’t end on 6 December, 1992,” Rai said.
The Congress, meanwhile said that all the parties have gone to Ayodhya only because the general elections are due next year.
“Everyone's going there due to elections. Who stopped Uddhav Thackeray from going there in past 4-5 yrs? On one hand, they're friends with BJP and on the other they want to tell people they're interested in constructing Ram Temple and are pressurising the government. People won't be fooled,” said Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge.
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