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Build temple at any cost, shankaracharya tells BJP

The shankaracharya of Jyoteepeeth and Dwarka, Swami Swaroopananda Saraswati, today said that the Bharatiya Janata Party should stand by its commitment to build the Ram temple even if it means losing power at the Centre.

Talking to the media in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, Swami Swaroopananda said, "If the parties supporting the BJP government at the Centre withdraw their support on this issue, then they are free to go to the people to seek a fresh mandate."

Going back on the promise would constitute an injustice to the people since in the last general elections the BJP had secured a mandate on the issue of the Ram temple, the shankaracharya claimed.

In this context, he expressed the hope that even if the BJP government were to fall on the issue, it would come back to power at the Centre in the next general election with a clear majority.

So far as the prospect of its allies withdrawing their support on the issue is concerned, that is bound to happen sooner or later. ''In that case, how would the BJP face the electorate if it does not stand by their faith in its promises?'' he asked.

Swami Swaroopananda Saraswati criticised reports appearing in a section of the media -- which quoted a shankaracharya as saying that a movement should be carried out to build the temple at Ayodhya.

The temple should be built through a consensus and not through a movement. For a lack of public support could prove counterproductive, he pointed out.

Criticising the demolition of the disputed structure on December 6, 1992, the shankaracharya also came down heavily on the Congress for its recent public apology to the Muslims on the issue.

If at all any apology had to be tendered, it should have been done to the Hindus as the demolished structure was a temple and not a mosque, he said.

In his criticism of the December 6 incident, he expressed regret that during the incident the 14 pillars of the structure, which were proof of it being a temple, were also demolished along with the structure.

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