Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath lights the lamp during a function to celebrate the 80th birthday ... Read More

AYODHYA: With the 2019 Lok Sabha elections round the corner, the Ram Temple issue has once again raised its head. On Monday, as aggressive Hindu seers took on chief minister Yogi Adityanath in Ayodhya saying that they will not wait for a court order to start construction of the temple, the CM has advocated "patience" and said that all those supporting the construction of the temple have to work within the bounds of "maryada".

"We are living in the world's biggest democracy where legislation and judiciary have a role to play. We must keep maryada in mind. When Lord Rama decides to bless us, the temple will be made. There is no point in harbouring any doubt. I fully support your demand. I come from the Gorakhnath Peeth that has given three generations to this cause. It is your government in the state and in the Centre. The temple will be built, but we need to be patient," Yogi said, trying instead to counter the demand for the temple with development of Ayodhya and other Hindu religious sites in UP.

The birthday celebrations of Mahant Nritya Gopal Das, said sources, saw seers in such an aggressive mode over the temple construction issue after a long gap in which they said that if despite Yogi as CM in the state and Narendra Modi as Prime Minister the temple did not get built, they would not have a face to show in the 2019 elections. In a passionate speech, former MP Ram Vilas Vedanti said that the construction of the Ram temple did not need a court order and would definitely start before 2019 elections.

"We will not wait for a court order to make the temple. When Babur built the mosque, he didn't wait for a court order. When in 1949 Ram Lalla appeared, he didn't wait for a court order either. In 1992, when we got the foundation demolished, it didn't happen on a court order. If the order comes, then good. If not, even then the temple will be built. Its construction will start all of a sudden. It will take time to build the temple, but construction will start before 2019," he said.

Berating the Congress for first opposing the hearing on the temple issue in court and then questioning BJP on why it wasn't getting built, Yogi warned people against falling victim to its conspiracy to weaken and divide Hindus.

