india

Updated: Feb 05, 2020 13:26 IST

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday announced the government’s decision to set up a temple trust to build the Ram temple at Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh in line with the verdict of the Supreme Court. The decision comes just four days before the three-month deadline fixed by the Supreme Court to set up the trust.

“We have readied a scheme for the development of Ram Temple in Ayodhya,” PM Modi told the Lok Sabha minutes after the Union Cabinet cleared the move.

The Centre has also decided to transfer the 67.703 acre of land to the trust.

The trust, to be called ‘Sri Ram Janmabhoomi Tirath Kshetra’, will be empowered to take all decisions related to building a grand temple at Lord Ram’s birthplace and related matters, PM Modi told the Lok Sabha amid thumping of tables by the ruling coalition members.

“I have come before you to give information on a very important and historic topic. This issue, like crores of people, is close to my heart and consider it my fortune to speak about this topic. This is connected to Ram Janamsthan Bhoomi and the construction of a grand temple at Ayodhya,” the prime minister, who spoke moments after the Lok Sabha convened this morning, said.

PM Modi also announced that the Uttar Pradesh government had agreed to give five acre land to the Sunni Waqf Board as directed by the Supreme Court in the Ayodhya case.

On November 9, the Supreme Court awarded the title of the 2.77-acre disputed land to Ram Lalla Virajman, the child deity and ruled that this land should be handed over to a temple trust to be set up by the government. A review filed against this verdict was dismissed by a five-judge bench of the Supreme Court led by Chief Justice SA Bobde.

The PM also lauded people’s faith in the “democratic processes” which was heavily tested during the course of the long-drawn court battle.

“After the verdict on the Ram Janmabhoomi issue came out, the people of India displayed remarkable faith in democratic processes and procedures. I salute the 130 crore people of India,” said the prime minister.

Modi underlined that his government was guided by ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas’ and was working for the welfare of every Indian.