Start Ram temple construction now to complete by 2025, says Bhaiyyaji Joshi

The Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid dispute case has been pending before the apex court for last eight years.

The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) has asserted that the construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya should begin now so that it can be completed by 2025.

"We strongly want that this temple should be built in Ayodhya. It should be completed by 2025. Now, it is up to the central government to take a decision on it. If it begins today, construction will be completed in five years," RSS general secretary Bhaiyyaji Joshi told media on Friday.

The Babri Masjid, built by Mughal emperor Babur in 1578 in Ayodhya was pulled down on December 6, 1992, allegedly by a group of Hindu activists, claiming that the mosque was constructed after demolishing a Ram temple that originally stood there. Since then, several hearings have been held in the Supreme Court to resolve the issue.

The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court in its September 30, 2010, verdict ordered that the disputed site be divided into three parts -- one for deity (Ramlala Virajmaan), another for Nirmohi Akhara - a Hindu sect - and a third one, to the original litigant in the case for the Muslims.

The Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid dispute case has been pending before the apex court for last eight years. Parties in the case and various right-wing organisations have been asking for an early or day-to-day hearing for a long time.

There are as many as 14 appeals pending in the top court against the 2010 Allahabad High Court judgement, delivered in four civil suits.

The Supreme Court recently fixed January 29 as the next date of hearing in the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid dispute after Justice UU Lalit recused himself from hearing the case.

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Congress played a major role in Independence, gave many leaders: Bhagwat

Bhagwat says India's diversity must be respected, celebrated and it should not be a reason for any discord in society.

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) does not seek domination and is indifferent to who comes to power, the Hindutva organisation’s chief Mohan Bhagwat said Monday, as he launched an unprecedented outreach in a bid to allay apprehensions about its ideology.

In his nearly 80-minute speech on the first day of the three-day conclave, Bhagwat also asserted that RSS is “most democratic” and not dictatorial, insisting that it neither imposes its ideology nor remote-controls its various affiliates, apparently rejecting criticism that the BJP is controlled by it. Almost all major Opposition parties gave the conclave “Bhavishya Ka Bharat — An RSS Perspective” a miss though the RSS had invited them, even as many BJP leaders, Union ministers, Bollywood actors, artists and academicians attended it.

ALSO READ: Mohan Bhagwat's speech didn't attract any non-BJP politician of note

Bhagwat also said India's diversity must be respected, celebrated and it should not be a reason for any discord in society as he extensively talked about evolution of the nearly nine-decade old RSS and its vision for an inclusive India.

Bhagwat insisted that "Hindutva binds us together and our vision of Hindutva is not to oppose or demean anyone".

The mega outreach programme comes at a time when the Congress-led opposition has been ramping up attacks on the RSS, accusing it of promoting divisive ideology and attacking minorities.

Talking about various ideologies that worked during the freedom movement, the 68-year-old RSS leader acknowledged the role of the Congress, which has been among the organisation's biggest critics.

"In the form of Congress, a big freedom movement had started in the country which gave many great personalities," he said. "Who will be in power, what policy the country will accept is something to be decided by the society and people. There are mechanisms in place for that... We are not concerned about that, what we are concerned about is the conduct of the society," he said adding that RSS does not believe in publicising an individual's work and wants to remain faceless.

The comments assume significance as it is believed that the RSS had a key role in the victory of Modi-led BJP in 2014 and is widely expected to play an important role in the next year's Lok Sabha polls as well....Read More

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