Ram temple coming up on 'land of hatred', says RJD's Jagada Nand Singh

PATNA: A day after Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced that Ayodhya's Ram temple will be inaugurated on January 1 next year, RJD state president Jagada Nand Singh on Friday created a political storm by alleging that the temple was being constructed on the "land of hatred."

Jagada Nand, known for his close proximity with RJD supremo Lalu Prasad, said, "Lord Ram can never be snatched away from India and from the hearts of the people and Ram cannot be imprisoned in a magnificent palace. Neither Ram was imprisoned in Ayodhya nor he started living in Ravan's Lanka after emerging victorious. Lord Ram's real residence is the hut of devotee Shabri."

"We are the people who believe in ‘Hey Ram' and not 'Jai Shri Ram' (read BJP)," he contended.

"It is being tried to confine Lord Ram who resides in each element to a boundary of stones. In the land of hatred, Ram temple is being constructed," Singh remarked while targeting BJP on its ‘Hindutva’ politics.

Intensifying his attack on the BJP and its ideological mentor RSS, Singh said, "If only Ram of frenzied people and not of humanity will remain. Ram of poor, slum dwellers, Tulsi, Ayodhya and Shabri will not exist in India. Lord Ram of India resides in each element but Ram of RSS will reside in a temple."

RJD supremo Lalu's politics has revolved around an anti-BJP stance. "Lalu ji never compromised with RSS and BJP's policy of hatred," asserted RJD spokesperson Mritunjay Tiwari.

Amit Shah at a rally in Tripura announced that the Ram temple in Ayodhya would be ready by January 1, 2024, making it the first instance where a date has been announced publicly for the opening of the temple.

Referring to Nitish's projection as the Opposition's PM candidate for the 2024 Lok Sabha election, Jagada Nand said that sooner or later Nitish would lead the country. "It's a matter of time. See what happens and how things move after the assembly budget," he told the media.