UDUPI:In his keynote address at the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP)’s three-day Dharma Samsad which began here on Friday, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat made a strong pitch for building the Ram temple at the disputed Ram Janmabhoomi site in Ayodhya, saying “the time is ripe for its construction”. Pejawar mutt seer Vishwesha Teertha Swamiji gave a time frame, saying the temple will be built in Ayodhya before 2019.
Addressing the hundreds of saints and heads of various mutts at the Samsad, Bhagwat said, “I am not making this statement out of any excitement. Having a Ram Mandir in Ayodhya is a matter of pride for Hindus.” He added that “only a Ram Mandir will be built at Ram Janmabhoomi”. He said the temple would be constructed in the same grandeur as it existed before, using the “same stones” under the guidance of those who were the flag-bearers of the Ram Janmabhoomi movement for the last 25 years.
Bhagwat also said that the ban on cow slaughter and fight against religious conversions should be continued in the country and “the time is ripe for it”. “It is the right time to safeguard the nation against all evil practices,” he said, adding, “Hindu religion is treading the path to success, but Hindus must wait to see the complete success.”
Vishwesha Teertha Swamiji batted for a Uniform Civil Code in the country, saying there should be no discrimination by the government based on people’s religious backgrounds.
Sri Sri’s mediation offers are His own: VHP
VHP general secretary Champat Rai said Art of Living founder Sri Sri Ravishankar’s efforts for an out-of-court settlement of the Ram Janmabhoomi dispute are his own and VHP is not ready for “any bargaining”. Rai said the saints attending the three-day congregation of religious heads have declared their determination to build a Ram Mandir at Ayodhya.