Grieving Parivar makes patriarch smile from above

It was clear: the Sangh’s entering the election season.

‘‘If we all put a collective effort, I don’t think that there will be any hurdle in fulfilling the last wish (of construction of Ram temple) of Mahant Paramhans,’’ said Vajpayee while addressing the condolence meeting attended by thousands of devotees.

Advani went a step further calling construction of the Ram temple at the disputed site as the ‘‘national wish.’’ All should take part in the construction of the temple regardless of their caste or creed, said Advani, since what was needed was ‘‘to honour the national wish.’’

As the Mahant’s pyre was set alight—the rhetoric heated up. ‘‘The job (temple construction) is difficult but there is no difficulty which cannot be overcome. I have the belief that all hurdles will be removed and path for construction of the temple will be fortified. May good reasoning prevail on those who are opposing the temple construction today and they also indulge themselves in the construction job,’’ said the PM.

The PM had never been to Ayodhya, at least during the last 12 years, a point Singhal duly noted. ‘‘We always had the wish that Atalji should have come to Ayodhya especially when we had been spearheading such a movement. But we are happy that he has come today,’’ he said. And then issued his characteristic warning: ‘‘I cannot say how violent our agitation will be but we will fulfil the last wish ofthe mahant.’’

RSS chief Sudarshan minced few words. He said that it was the Sangh’s responsibility now to ensure that no one in the country could speak against the construction of the temple in the next polls.

‘‘Hindus have been treated as emotion less animals. We should take the pledge to ask each leader in next elections if he supports the temple construction,’’ said Sudarshan. ‘‘I have the firm belief that now nobody can stop the construction of the Ram temple.’’

The restive crowd raised slogans of Jai Shri Ram, and Mahant ji ki ichcha puri karo, mandir ka nirman karo.

Earlier, the sants representing the Digambar Akhada sect—to which Paramhans belonged—had objected to the VHP ‘‘hijacking’’ the funeral and therefore delayed the procession. Later, however, it was all a VHP show, the VHP announcing, even before the pyre was lit, that Mahant Nritya Gopal Das had been chosen as the successor.