'Bhakts want Lord Rama to live in grandeur'

'Lord Rama is still in the same shape as he was before the disputed structure fell...'

Exuding confidence that a grand Ram temple will be constructed in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya on Tuesday, November 28, said it will fulfil the aspirations of Lord Rama's devotees.

Ayodhya, Maurya said, has never been a political issue, but a matter of faith.

"Every Ram bhakt wants to see that Lord Rama does not languish in a taat (makeshift tent), but resides in thaat (grandeur)," he said.

"Lord Rama is still in the same shape as he was before the disputed structure fell (when the Babri Masjid was demolished on December 6, 1992)... Every day he is worshipped as per traditions and rituals. But he is being worshipped under a taat," Maurya told Press Trust of India in an interview.

His remarks come days after Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh Sarsanghchalak Mohan Bhagwat made a strong pitch for building the Ram temple at the disputed site at Ayodhya, saying only the mandir would come up there and not any other structure.

"Daily court hearing in the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid dispute case will begin on December 5," Maurya said. "I am confident that after the hearing, the judgment will come soon."

"In place of tirpal (tent), a grand Ram temple will be built using stones on which carvings have been made by the Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas," Maurya added.

"Since the matter is in court, as a government, we can say that till the time the court delivers its judgment or there is an agreement among the parties (in the case), the construction of the Ram temple cannot commence," Maurya said.

"However, the day the Supreme Court gives the judgment or an agreement is reached among the parties, construction work for the Ram temple will start without any delay," he said.

Asked about Art of Living founder Sri Sri Ravi Shankar's initiative to find a solution to the Ayodhya dispute, Maurya said, "If there is any initiative by anyone, then from the government there is no opposition to it. Those who have started the initiative must be having a roadmap."

"But at the level of the government, we are waiting for agreement among the parties or a Supreme Court judgment. And we believe that it will be a favourable one," UP's deputy CM said.

"Our religious scriptures prove that Ayodhya is the birthplace of Lord Rama and not a symbol of faith for Muslims. When the Mughal invaders came here, they destroyed many temples in order to insult Hindus," Maurya said.

"For us, Ayodhya has never been a political issue and it will never be so in future. It is a matter of faith," Maurya said.

"It is the SP (the Samajwadi Party), the BSP (the Bahujan Samaj Party) and the Congress who link politics with matter of faith."

IMAGE: Actors dressed up as Rama, Sita and Lakshmana arrive by a helicopter decorated as the 'Pushpak Viman' during Deepotsav celebrations organised by the Uttar Pradesh government in Ayodhya in October. Photograph: Nand Kumar/PTI Photo