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Ayodhya: Mohan Bhagwat Wants Law For Ram Mandir, Lashes Out At Supreme Court

At a VHP rally, the RSS chief said the time for patience was over and there was no need to wait for a Supreme Court decision.
Addressing the Vishwa Hindu Parishad's (VHP's) 'Hunkar rally', Bhagwat made visible his displeasure with the Supreme Court's attitude on the issue of Ram temple.
The India Today Group via Getty Images
Addressing the Vishwa Hindu Parishad's (VHP's) 'Hunkar rally', Bhagwat made visible his displeasure with the Supreme Court's attitude on the issue of Ram temple.

Nagpur, MAHARASHTRA — Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat on Sunday gave a clear message to the Sangh Parivar in Nagpur that the time for patience on the issue of a Ram temple at Ayodhya was over and there was no need to wait for a Supreme Court decision on the disputed site.

Addressing the Vishwa Hindu Parishad's (VHP) "Hunkar rally", just a few kilometres away from the RSS headquarters in Nagpur, Bhagwat made visible his displeasure with the Supreme Court's attitude on the issue of Ram temple.

"It appears that this issue is not a priority for the apex court... The issues of people's importance should not be delayed repeatedly," the RSS chief told the gathering of RSS and VHP workers.

Supporters of Vishwa Hindu Parishad and other Hindu organisations attend the Sabha in Ayodhya.
Hindustan Times via Getty Images
Supporters of Vishwa Hindu Parishad and other Hindu organisations attend the Sabha in Ayodhya.

Bhagwat was not scheduled to address the rally but reportedly decided to speak a couple of hours before the programme was to begin.

Hinting that the Sangh Parivar is going to get more aggressive on the issue in the coming days, Bhagwat told RSS and VHP workers that there was no need to wait for the top court's decision.

"I am not asking you to have patience and wait for the court's decision. A year ago, I was the one who asked you to keep patience, but now I am saying that there is no need of keeping patience. Now we have to mobilise people. Now we have to demand the law. It's good to raise slogans, but do it at a proper place. People of this country, the saints, even those opposed to it, want a quick construction of the Ram temple. This has to be the decisive phase of our movement for Ram temple. Now make sure we make such a push that we stop only after the temple is constructed," he told the crowd from a stage shared by VHP leaders and Sadhus.

He also asked the Karsevaks to be ready to go to Ayodhya in batches in order to participate in the construction of the Ram temple.

Throughout his 23-minute-long speech, the RSS chief repeatedly disapproved of Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi's comments that the issue (of Ram temple) is not a priority for the Supreme Court.

"It is not the court's priority, maybe because it is busy or is not able to understand our society. In such a situation, the government should bring a law as soon as possible. This is our demand and remember what we have to do to fulfil this demand. Go and explain to every person about the present state of Ram Janmabhoomi. Now we don't need to fight, but have to be adamant. Take it to the people that the government has to make law.

"The government needs the pressure of people to make laws. Even if I don't want to construct the temple despite being in government, people's pressure can propel me to do so. People's pressure gives them strength. It's time for India to stand for the Ram Mandir. Don't think of politics, this issue has got nothing to do with it. We want a grand mandir at Ram Janmabhoomi and we will unite the society for it," Bhagwat said while also expressing regret that he had to participate in a rally on the same issue even after almost 30 years.

The programme saw communal and inflammatory speeches by several VHP leaders and Sadhus, castigating the Muslim community and the Supreme Court's "apathetic attitude" towards the issue of Ram temple.

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This article exists as part of the online archive for HuffPost India, which closed in 2020. Some features are no longer enabled. If you have questions or concerns about this article, please contact indiasupport@huffpost.com.