The Param Dharam Sansad on Wednesday announced that the construction of Ram temple at Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh will begin from February 21. The religious group met at the Kumbh in Prayagraj on Wednesday where they declared that though they respect the Supreme Court and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the time has come for the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya.

They also added that they will carry the four stones and go to Ayodhya to lay the foundation of the temple and start its construction. "We respect the courts and the Prime Minister of the country. But we will take four stones to Ayodhya. These stones can be carried by four people which will not violate Section 144. Constructing a temple takes time but if it does not start, then it will never happen. Ram lala is already present there," said the saints.

Swaroopanand Saraswati said, "We will lay the foundation stone (of Ram temple) there on February 21, 2019. We are not violating any order of the Court. Until the High Court's order is quashed by the Supreme Court, it is still applicable."

The Central government had on Tuesday moved the Supreme Court seeking permission for the release of 67 acres of excess vacant land acquired around the disputed Ayodhya site. The Centre urged that the surplus land be handed over to Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas, a trust formed to promote and oversee the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya.

The Centre told the court that 67-acre-land was acquired after the demolition of the Babri Masjid in 1992 out of which only 2.77 acre is disputed and thus the remaining land should be returned to the original owners - Ram Janambhoomi Nyas.

Ahead of the Lok Sabha election, the Narendra Modi government is facing heat for not having fulfilled its promise of constructing the Ram temple in Ayodhya.

The apex court had earlier said that status quo be maintained with regard to the acquired 67 acre of land around the disputed site. Fourteen appeals have been filed in the apex court against the 2010 Allahabad High Court judgement, delivered in four civil suits, that the 2.77-acre land be partitioned equally among three parties -- the Sunni Waqf Board, the Nirmohi Akhara and Ram Lalla.

Meanwhile, the hearing in the Ayodhya title dispute case was scheduled for Tuesday but had to be deferred due to non-availability of Justice SA Bobde who is one of the five judges of the Constitution bench.