Turning the spotlight on Hindutva politics, Union home minister and BJP’s chief poll strategist Amit Shah on Friday chose Ayodhya to unleash a blazing attack on the opposition parties, daring them to “have guts” in getting the construction of a “skyscraping” Ram temple stopped.
Addressing a gathering after visiting Ram Janmabhoomi and Hanumangarhi, Shah held the opposition responsible for stalling construction of the Ram Temple and forcing Ram Lalla to “live in a tent” for years. He categorically ripped into Samajwadi Party for ordering firing at karsevaks during its previous regime (in 1990) and “throwing their bodies in Saryu River”. “When (SP chief) Akhilesh Yadav comes to seek votes in Ayodhya, ask him why during the SP regime firing was ordered on karsevaks… why were seers lathi-charged,” he exhorted the gathering.
This was Shah’s first visit to Ayodhya after BJP stormed to power at the Centre in 2014. He had last visited the city in 2013 when he was the party’s UP in-charge. Shah, who met Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust chairman Mahant Nritya Das, also reviewed the construction of the Ram Temple.
Shah referred to Ayodhya as a land that struggled for reclamation of Ram Janmabhoomi, with scores of people sacrificing their life for the cause. “Finally, the land witnessed construction, winning over destruction,” he said. Invoking Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Shah said the country’s first home minister got Somnath Temple’s Jyotirlinga renovated. “And now, PM Modi has laid the foundation of Ram Temple in Ayodhya,” he asserted.
Emphasising that BJP restored Ayodhya’s ancient glory, Shah said the grand celebration of Deepotsav brought tears in his eyes. He cited how various developmental projects, including construction of an international airport, medical college and a proposed university, were being fast-tracked to make Ayodhya “Ram Ki Nagri” once again.
The home minister also referred to the inauguration of Kashi Vishwanath Dham corridor in Varanasi and renovation of Vindhyavasini Temple by Yogi Adityanath government as examples of BJP’s bid to ensure “Astha ka Samman (respect of faith)”. “This was never the case in the previous SP and BSP regimes,” he said.
He also hit out at the opposition for “wailing” over Centre’s step to nullify Article 370 that gave special status to J&K and enact a law to ban instant Triple Talaq. “Even two generations of Akhilesh Yadav will not be able to bring back the two laws,” he said. Shah also lauded CM Yogi for initiating a fiery crackdown on mafia and their criminal empires to restore law and order in the state.
