Ayodhya Put on Alert as VHP, Sena Workers Pour In

Hindutva groups prepare for Dharam Sansad in Ayodhya on Sunday, temple town tense.

Ayodhya: The temple town of Ayodhya and the birthplace of Lord Ram has been put on high alert ahead of the massive meeting of Dharam Sansad on Sunday.

Dharam Sandad, sometimes referred to as ‘dharam sabha’ is a grand congregation of saffron forces to raise the pitch for construction of Ram Temple here. But in reality, it is a show of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Siv Sena supporters.

While the VHP is trying to garner support for the BJP, the Sena too is eying the Hindu vote bank in Maharashtra ahead of 2019 general elections. The Sena is at loggerheads with the BJP in Maharashtra.

Posters of Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeary have sprung up in Ayodhya ahead of the meeting.

But many in Ayodhya feel that the Sena is an outsider to the issue here.

Lakhs of people from various places and saints are expected to participate in the “Dharam Sabha” where the issue of Ram temple’s construction would be taken up by saffron outfits.

Flexing its muscle, the VHP said “law and order is not an issue as far as Lord Ram is concerned…he will take care of it”. If the need arose, they would take the law into their hands for the temple’s construction like it was done in 1992 for the demolition of Babri mosque.

The organisation said that the meeting has been called to discuss a strategy for the early construction of the temple. The  (VHP) said on Friday that the scheduled ‘Dharam Sabha’ in Ayodhya on Sunday was its “last effort” to clear the hurdles for the construction of a Ram temple in the temple town. There would be no more congregations and the next stop for them would be the beginning of the temple’s construction.

Former chief minister Akhilesh Yadav has demanded deployment of the Army in Ayodhya.

“BJP does not believe in either SC or constitution. BJP can go to any extent. The kind of environment there is in UP, especially in Ayodhya, the Supreme Court should take notice of it and bring Army if necessary,” he said.

We demolished Babri in 17 minutes, how long does it take to bring an ordinance on the temple, Shiv Sena’s Sanjay Raut wondered.

“There would no more meetings, processions and protests for Ram temple, opponents will no longer be engaged with… There will only be temple construction,” he added.

The Shiv Sena asked the BJP to come out with an ordinance and declare a date for the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya. While slamming the BJP, the Shiv Sena said those in power should be proud of Shiv Sainiks who had “destroyed Babur’s raj in Ram Janmabhoomi”.

In an editorial in party mouthpiece ‘Saamana’, the Sena said it neither moves around with a begging bowl asking for votes in the name of Lord Ram nor does it indulge in “jumlebaazi” (rhetoric) during polls.

Controversial BJP MLA Surendra Singh has warned that 1992 could be repeated in Ayodhya, if required, during a “Dharam Sabha.”

Meanwhile, BJP MP Ravindra Kushwaha claimed a Bill allowing the construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya will be introduced in the coming session of Parliament and the Centre will bring an ordinance in case it falls in the Rajya Sabha.