BJP's Rajya Sabha MP Rakesh Sinha has proposed to bring a private member's bill in the Upper House of the Parliament during the Winter Session for construction of a Ram temple at the disputed site in Ayodhya.
He also challenged the Congress and other Opposition parties on the issue, asking whether they will support his 'Ram Mandir Bill'.
While Sinha's proposal gave further momentum to the raging debate over the construction of a Ram temple at the controversial site in Ayodhya with some of the BJP leaders coming out in support, the Opposition took a swipe at the BJP, calling the the saffron party leader's proposal as “politics ahead of elections.”
The estranged National Democratic Alliance (NDA) constituent Shiv Sena raised questions over the move, saying that the Centre should either bring “an Ordinance or a Bill” for construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya, instead of waiting for the BJP lawmaker to bring in a private member bill.
“Will @RahulGandhi @SitaramYechury @laluprasadrjd Mayawati ji support Private member bill on Ayodhya? They frequently ask the date to @RSSorg @BJP4India, now onus on them to answer,” Sinha tweeted on Thursday.
“It is only a drama by the BJP as they could not do any thing in last five years. They are trying to fool people. We do not play politics in the name of Ram,” Anurag Bhadauria, a Samajwadi Party leader, told a news channel.
Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut said that it was "not possible" to enact a law for the construction of Ram temple on a private member's bill.
“We all know what happens to private member bills. Enough politics has been played in the name of Ram. It's time for the government to either bring an Ordinance or a Bill, or tell the nation that it was all 'jumla' in the name of Ram temple. Shiv Sena demands for it,” he said.
The Supreme Court recently declined an early hearing of the Ayodhya land dispute cases and fixed its schedule in January next year, prompting Sangh Parivar affiliates to pitch for an “ordinance or legislation” in the Winter Session to clear the hurdles for the construction of the Ram Temple.
Earlier this week, the Congress dared Prime Minister Narendra Modi to make his stand clear on the demand for an Ordinance to build the Ram Temple in wake of amid strong demand from the Sangh parivaar and a section of the BJP.
“If someone is asking for an Ordinance it is for the prime minister to respond to, if at all he will respond to any issue,” P Chidambaram, former Union minister and Congress' senior spokesman, told reporters on Monday.
He also accused the BJP of trying to polarise “views” on the Ram Temple issue ahead of every election.