Ram temple in Ayodhya: Not a single brick will be lifted or installed, says SP

Nawab, who is considered close to Mulayam, made the announcement in Lucknow while reacting to media reports that quoted BJP leader Subramanian Swamy as saying the construction work on the Ram temple will being by 2016.

Nawab claimed that even Muslims have no objection in construction of Ram Temple. “Why will Muslims object? There are hundreds of mosques in Punjab where cattle are living. Nobody says a word about them. Mandir zaroor banega, zaroor banwaya jayega (the temple will be built),” Bukkal told The Indian Express.

“Everyday, BJP leaders issue statements about construction of Ram temple. Swamy has even announced the date. Now, if they are serious about the issue, I am ready to donate Rs 10 lakh and a ‘sone ka mukut’ (gold crown). I will also stand with them. But, the construction should begin before March 15, 2017,” he told The Indian Express.

Asked why March 15, 2017 deadline, he claimed that a new government in Uttar Pradesh would have taken charge by then. “New government will come. It may be ours or of another party. So I fixed this deadline. Either begin construction or end this gimmick,” Nawab said, adding, “With all stones ready, it will not take much time if they start construction soon”.

Stating that he was aware that the matter was pending in Supreme Court, he said, “BJP-RSS people are challenging it with their announcements. So I ask them to either go ahead with construction or leave this election gimmick, which is creating hatred among Hindus-Muslims,” he said.

Owing to Nawab’s proximity with Mulayam, SP seems in no mood to take action against him.

When asked, party’s chief spokesperson and minister Shivpal Yadav downplayed Nawab’s remarks. “He must have said it for some other temple…It’s good if Bukkal gets it constructed,” Shivpal said.

When told the Nawab specifically commented on Ram temple in Ayodhya, Shivpal said: “Na ek eint uthegi na hi lagegi (not a single brick will be lifted or installed). It will not be constructed as the matter is in court. We are keeping tight vigil on law and order and all activities,” Shivpal said.

Lashing out at BJP, he said BJP leaders “take money from slaughter houses and and even have share in it,” but even then raise the issue of cow slaughter. Shivpal claimed after failing to get any “political mileage” from cow slaughter and other issues, BJP was raking up the Ram temple issue “to flare up communal sentiments”.

“They are disappointed people who have failed to achieve anything. Even Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not do anything for Varanasi. No work is being done for Ganga cleaning. I have already started work on Gomti river and will take up Ganga also. BJP failed to fulfill its poll promise while we fulfilled all our promises,” Shivpal said.

BJP leader Subramanian Swamy had on January 6 claimed that work on the construction of Ram Temple in Ayodhya would start before this year-end. Swamy had, however, made it clear that the temple would not come up through a movement but only after the court verdict, which he hoped would come by August-September and with the mutual consent of Muslim and Hindu communities.

In December last year, almost six months after VHP announced its nationwide drive to collect stones for construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya, two trucks of stones arrived in the temple city. “Now, the time has come for the construction of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. Lot of stones arrived today in Ayodhya. And now the arrival of stones will continue. We have signals from Modi government that Mandir construction would be done now,” Mahant Nritya Gopal Das, the president of Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas had said.

A Shia Muslim, Nawab lives in Sheeshmahal locality of old city in Lucknow. A Mulayam loyalist, Nawab was nominated as MLC in July 2012 after the seat fell vacant due to resignation of BSP chief Mayawati. Bukkal had earlier unsuccessfully contested assembly polls as SP candidate twice from Lucknow West seat.