Why Congress is linking Ram Mandir to polls: Modi slams in Gujarat rally

Modi slammed senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal over his argument in the Supreme Court for deferring hearing the matter till after the 2019 polls.

Addressing a poll-bound rally in Dahod, Modi said: "There is a Congress leader, Shri Kapil Sibal. He was arguing on the Ram Temple issue, which he is entitled to do. But, he said in Court to hear the case after 2019. Why is he mixing Ram Temple and elections."

Speaking on the function of the Sunni Waqf Board, Modi said: "The Sunni Waqf Board has stated today that yes, Kapil Sibal may be our lawyer but what he said in the court is absolutely wrong. They too want a time bound solution to the matter. Everyone wants a time bound solution except Congress and their leaders."

He said: "The Sunni Waqf Board must be congratulated for their brave stand on the matter and disassociating themselves from the statement of Shri Kapil Sibal."

Lok Sabha polls is scheduled to be held in 2019.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday deferred the final hearing in the long-pending Ayodhya-Ram Janambhoomi case till Feb 8, 2018 after a specially constituted bench sat a day before the 25th anniversary of Babri Masjid demolition, reports said.

A three-judge Supreme Court bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices Ashok Bhushan and Abdul Nazeer will hear the case.

The dispute was triggered after the 16th Century mosque – Babri Masjid – was demolished by thousands of activists associated with right wing groups on Dec 6, 1992.

The specially constituted Supreme Court bench will hear a total of 13 appeals filed against the 2010 judgement of the Allahabad High Court in four civil suits.

The High court, in 2010, had decided that the disputed land of 2.77 acre will be divided in three-way among the parties — the Sunni Waqf Board, the Nirmohi Akhara, and the Lord Ram Lalla.

The court ordered each party a third of the land at the site. After that the stakeholders in the case had moved the apex court.

Calling the verdict "strange, the Supreme Court,  in May 2011, stayed the operation of the order. It observed that the decree of partition was not sought by the parties… not prayed by anyone”.

Recently a group of civil rights activists also moved the apex court seeking intervention in the Ayodhya dispute and urged it to consider the issue saying it is not just a dispute over property but has several other aspects which would have far-reaching effects on the “secular fabric of the country”.

Image: BJP India Twitter page