Nyas hopeful of early resolution as temple issue takes centrestage again

After remaining out of focus during the recent Lok Sabha elections, the Ram temple issue has again taken the centre stage of Uttar Pradesh politics, and the Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas (RJN) is delighted.

The visit of Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray and 18 MPs of the party to Ayodhya to offer prayers at the makeshift Ram Mandir on Sunday has also given momentum to the campaign.

Nyas, the highest body of saints in Ayodhya which has been spearheading the Temple movement across the country, also welcomed Thackeray’s demand that the Modi government should bring in ordinance for the construction of Ram temple.

“Now, we are hopeful that construction of the temple will start soon. We welcome all political parties, including Shiv Sena, who take up the cause of Ram Mandir,” said Mahant Kamal Nayan Das, a senior member of the RJN.

The Nyas is against the Supreme Court-appointed three-member mediation panel formed to resolve the Ayodhya dispute.

“We want the court to give its verdict on the basis of the facts presented before it during hearing of the case,” said Das.

The recently concluded nine-day long 81st birthday celebration of RJN chief Mahant Nritya Gopal Das in Ayodhya also helped in giving a push to the temple issue.

Chief minister Yogi Adityanath had inaugurated the event on June 7 and deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya presided over the concluding ceremony on June 15. Saints from all across the country had attended the programme.

During the event, the Nyas discussed the issue with Adityanath and the seers discussed the Centre’s petition in Supreme Court filed on January 29 last in which it had requested the court to restore non-disputed 67 acres land to the original owners.

This land is around the disputed 2.77 acre land on which the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid stood.

The apex court had appointed a three-member mediation panel on March 8 to resolve the Ayodhya dispute with a deadline of eight weeks. The panel had convened its first meeting in Faizabad on March 13.

The mediators included Justice (retd) FM Ibrahim Kalifulla, who is heading the committee, Art of Living founder Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and senior advocate Sriram Panchu.

After the panel’s deadline expired in May, the Supreme Court extended it by three months till August 15.