A staunch supporter for the construction of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, the seer of Pejawar Mutt Vishwesha Theertha has called for BJP MPs to resign if the temple is not constructed within a year's time.
Speaking at the Janaagraha Sabhe organised by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad at Nehru Maidan on Sunday, the seer issued a stern warning to the BJP-led NDA government regarding the construction of the Ram Mandir.
"The Mandir not being constructed is a national insult. The Ram Mandir is like our mother and we cannot abandon our mother. If the Centre fails to bring in an ordinance in Parliament, then the BJP MPs must be ready to resign," the seer said.
Vishwesha Theertha called for the NDA government to promulgate an ordinance for the construction of the temple or rather call for a joint session of the Parliament to decide the matter "as soon as possible."
"The current government can call for a joint session and get the law passed for the construction of the temple. The current government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi is not like the Vajpayee government, where the ruling party did not have a full majority. The Congress will not oppose it because it is sure to lose out on votes during the election. The Congress is neutral on the issue and it is the right time to construct the Ram Mandir," Vishwesha Theertha said.
The seer, however, rubbished claims that the issue was being politicised and said that when the current government came to power, there was an expectation that the issue would be resolved soon.
"We have waited for four and a half years, hoping that the government would construct the temple. We cannot tolerate it any longer. The temple is a symbol of Hindu pride," he added.
This is not the first time the Pejawar Mutt's seer has demanded that the Ram Mandir be constructed. He has been campaigning alongside VHP for the construction of the Ram temple.
In January this year, Vishwesha Theertha had called for the Vishwa Hindu Parishad to begin a strong campaign for the construction of the Ram temple.
"Vishwa Hindu Parishad should initiate action now. It is not an election issue but will have wide-ranging implications. It is better if the temple is built in the original place and there should be deliberations between the two parties," he had earlier said.
In November last year, the seer had compared the issue to the conflict in Kashmir and had gone on to state that there are "limits to secularism".
"Is it possible to give away Kashmir to Pakistan for the sake of peace and to prevent violence? Kashmir is India's right and similarly, the Ram Mandir is the right and pride of Hindus in India. The privilege of secularism should have a limitation," he had said.
The seer is revered in the coastal districts of Karnataka and his criticism of the BJP, especially Prime Minister Modi, has raised questions on whether it would affect the public opinion against the BJP in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
The Times of India spoke to two of the three MPs from the coastal district - Dakshina Kannada MP Nalin Kumar Kateel and Udupi-Chikkamagalur MP Shobha Karandlaje.
“I have already made my sentiments known to the public that Ram Mandir agenda is the top priority, and if it means that I will have to tender my resignation, then I am ready to do so,” Kateel told TOI.
“My position is clear on the matter, any decision to be taken on the Ram Mandir will be dependent on PM Narendra Modi and party national president Amit Shah. We have been elected by the people on a BJP ticket and require the people to decide on the matter,” Shoba Karandlaje told TOI, stating that the decision rests with the party’s central leadership.
Speaking to TNM, BJP spokesperson Malavika Avinash said that the party respects the demands of all seers and that the BJP too agrees with their demand of constructing the Ram temple.
"The BJP has always maintained that it supports the construction of the Ram Mandir. Over the past few months, not only the Pejawar Swamiji but also many others have demanded that the Ram Mandir be constructed soon and that the government should pass an ordinance in the parliament for the same. We respect Pejawar Swamiji's demands," she said.
Malavika further stated that the seer's statement would not affect the BJP's vote base in the coastal districts as the party too, has been working for the construction of the temple.
"The BJP has always made its stance on the Ram temple issue very clear. We had previously and still believe the mandir should be constructed. However, the matter is in court and we must let the court decide," she said.