New Delhi: A huge right-wing rally to demand the fast-tracking of the Ram temple at Ayodhya is being held at Delhi’s Ramlila grounds. The attending groups, which include the BJP’s ideological mentor, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, want the government to pass an ordinance to bypass the legal process. The winter session of parliament – the last full-fledged one before the Lok Sabha polls are announced – begins on Tuesday.
But chaos broke out at the grounds outside the iconic Red Fort as the police were forced to shut the gates when place was full. The crowd, which was still pouring in, tried to force open the gates. Video footage from the spot showed the police physically holding the doors together.
The right-wing group Vishwa Hindu Parishad, or VHP, which organized the rally, said they were expecting more than 1.5 lakh people to attend. The group had also brought people from the various districts of Uttar Pradesh close to Delhi, including Ghaziabad, Gautam Budh Nagar, Baghpat and Meerut.
Ahead of the rally, the police made elaborate security arrangements, deploying extra personnel and stationing snipers on high-rise buildings. Traffic diversions were also made.
The title suit of the Ayodhya case is pending in the Supreme Court. In January, the judges are expected to name a date for the beginning of the hearing. But with the temple on hold for more than 25 years, the right-wing groups are demanding that the government sidestep the courts through an ordinance, and go ahead with the temple building.
At Sunday’s rally, some of the leaders said the people would be told to request their parliamentarians to convince the government.
Speaking at the rally, senior RSS functionary Suresh ‘Bhaiyyaji’ Joshi said “Those in power today had promised to construct Ram Temple. They should listen to people and fulfill the demand of temple in Ayodhya. They are aware of the sentiments.”
Without naming the BJP, he added, “We are not begging for it. We are expressing our emotions. The country wants ‘Ram rajya’.”
Last month, the VHP held a huge rally in Ayodhya to push for the demand. One of the religious leaders attending it, Swami Rambhadracharya, said a Union minister has assured him that a decision on the temple will be taken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his ministers after December 11.
Allies like the Shiv Sena have alleged that the BJP is using the temple issue as an election gimmick – a view that the opposition also holds.
The Sena held a public meeting in Ayodhya last month that coincided with the VHP rally. Party chief Uddhav Thackeray, who addressed the gathering, also warned the BJP that they would not remain in power if they don’t start the temple building process.
