Ayodhya Ram Mandir: RSS announces 10-day 'Sankalp Rath Yatra' in Delhi starting from tomorrow over ordinance for temple construction

The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) will start a 10-day ‘Sankalp Rath Yatra’ in Delhi on Saturday demanding an ordinance for the construction of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. The RSS ‘rath yatra’ aims to push for a decision on the construction of Ram Mandir ahead of the Supreme Court hearing, which is likely to begin in January 2019.

The ‘Sankalp Rath Yatra’ will cover all districts and will culminate on 9 December, the same day the Sangh Parivar affiliate Vishwa Hindu Parishad’s (VHP) is holding a mega rally at the Ramlila Maidan in Delhi to put pressure on the Centre for the construction of the temple.

According to an Asian Age  report, the rath yatra will be spearheaded by another Sangh Parivar affiliate, Swadeshi Jagran Manch (SJM). It will will start from Jhandewala Mandir, a few metres from RSS’s Delhi headquarters.

The RSS on Tuesday  had demanded an ordinance or a law to build a Ram temple in Ayodhya at the earliest, saying the Supreme Court’s decision to defer the hearing in the land dispute case has “hurt” Hindu sentiments.

“The Supreme Court put the case to January next year. They said they have own priorities,” said RSS national executive member Indresh Kumar, questioning the apex court’s decision.

Maintaining that it was a matter of faith for crores of Hindus and justice must not be “delayed”, Kumar, while addressing a seminar, said, “From whom can we have hope? The answer is government. Ram Janma Bhoomi se anyaay kyun (Why Injustice towards the birthplace of Ram)?”

“The government will bring a law or an ordinance and they should do so, but till 11 December, the model code is in force (due to the Assembly polls in five states). The government’s hands are tied till then,” he added.

On 25 November , RSS, VHP and Shiv Sena organised events in Ayodhya, Nagpur and Bengaluru, respectively, to muster support for the construction of Ram temple.

The Supreme Court had deferred the politically sensitive matter to the first week of January, refusing to accord an urgent hearing on the Ayodhya land dispute case. The apex court order has triggered a chorus of demands from within the BJP and various Sangh Parivar outfits for promulgating an ordinance, or enacting a law in the Winter Session of the Parliament, to build the Ram temple before the 2019 Lok Sabha polls without waiting for the verdict.

With inputs from PTI