'No Ram Mandir, no vote to BJP': Former VHP leader Praveen Togadia asks Narendra Modi govt to bring ordinance to construct temple

Bhopal: Former VHP leader Praveen Togadia Friday said before the announcement of Lok Sabha election schedule, the Narendra Modi government should bring an ordinance to facilitate construction of a Ram temple in Ayodhya. He declared that his political outfit Hindustan Nirman Dal (HND) would bring in an ordinance for building a grand Ram temple in Ayodhya in a week if voted to power. [caption id=“attachment_2191221” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of Pravin Togadia. AFP[/caption] “The dates of national elections have not been announced yet. Modi_ji_ bring an ordinance and start construction of Ram temple. Or, no Ram Mandir, no vote to BJP,” he told reporters in Bhopal. Slamming the Modi government, the Hindutva leader said, “Three ordinances have been promulgated on triple talaq for Muslim women. Why not one for the mandir?” “For the cause of Ram temple, a yatra was taken out from Somnath to Ayodhya,” he said, referring to the BJP patriarch LK Advani’s yatra of 1990. “Kar sevaks were killed. In the name of Ram, the party won elections from panchayat level to Parliament. Why Modi_ji_ did not get a law enacted for the construction of Ram temple in five years of his rule?” he asked. “Hindus are demanding answer. I am seeking an answer,” he added. “Our party (HND) will fight general elections. Neither the Congress nor the BJP can build the Ram temple. We (HND) will construct the Ram temple after fighting the national election,” he said. “If we get the mandate, in a week we will bring an ordinance and construct the Ram temple. We will build Ram temple in Ayodhya, give a Hindu government, employment to youth, respect to jawans and improve farmers’ life,” he added. However, he parried a question on how many seats his political party will contest across India. Togadia, however, said his party will definitely contest the Bhopal Lok Sabha seat.