Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday accused the Congress of linking the Ram temple issue to the Lok Sabha elections and attacked senior leader Kapil Sibal's arguments in the Supreme Court for deferring hearing the matter after the 2019 polls.

"Yesterday in the Supreme Court, a Congress MP Kapil Sibal was arguing (which is his right) for the Babri Masjid. He is entitled to do that, but is it right for him to say postpone hearing till 2019?" Modi said while addressing a rally in Gujarat's Dhandhuka. 

"Why does he have to link a Ram Mandir (temple) with elections. Is such thinking proper?" Modi asked from the crowd. 

He also accused the Congress of linking the Ram temple issue with the elections.

"Now Congress links Ram Mandir with elections. They are least bothered about the nation," Modi said.

Modi's remarks came a day after Sibal while representing the Sunni Waqf Board on Tuesday urged the Supreme Court to defer hearing in the Ayodhya title suit till July 2019 when the next Lok Sabha elections will be over. 

However, the demand was brushed aside by the court as it fixed February 8, 2018 for commencing final hearing in the case.

Anand Sharma, deputy leader of Congress in the Rajya Sabha, hit back at the PM and said the party has nothing to do with Sibal’s stand in the SC. 

News18.com quoted him saying, “Finance Minister Arun Jaitley represented Dow Chemical who were guilty in the Bhopal gas tragedy. Is Modi asking Jaitley why he represented them? BJP has so many legal eagles. All of them have represented all kind of corrupt people. Is Modi asking them why they represented them? Congress has nothing to do with what he (Sibal) said in court. Congress stand is clear that SC must decide on Ayodhya.”