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RSS chief says Ayodhya temple will come up at all costs

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Professor Rajendra Singh has taken both the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party by surprise by saying that the then P V Narasimha Rao government was against a speedy verdict in the Ayodhya case, and that the RSS is all for the proposed construction of the Ram temple at the disputed site in Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh.

The RSS chief's views run counter to the BJP government's resolve to abide by the court's verdict in the case. An assurance has already been made in Parliament to this effect.

Singh has told Panchajanya, a Hindi weekly, that a necessary legislation would be enacted, if necessary, to ensure the temple construction. He recalled that the Rajiv Gandhi government had acted in a similar fashion in the Shah Bano case. He asserted that the temple will come up "at all costs". The makeshift structure is already there. Only the dimensions will be enlarged, he hinted.

Expressing optimism that the court would rule in favour of temple construction, Singh sought to justify the ongoing preparatory building activity at various places across the country. He said the idea is to gain on time. "When a girl-child is born, parents begin preparations for her marriage… If work begins after the court's verdict, it'll take a longer time."

Singh stated that when Rao was the PM in 1992, he had cautioned Sharad Pawar and P R Kumaramangalam, both members of Rao's government, that there could be grave consequences if the Allahabad high court failed to give its verdict before December 6. "But Rao assured me that there was no reason to worry," he said.

Kumaramangalam, Singh revealed, had offered to approach the high court chief justice for an early verdict, but Rao turned it down. Observers interpreted Singh's revelation as a testimony to the alleged Congress role in the demolition of the Babri Masjid. Singh's statement comes at a time when the Congress is readying to take on the BJP on the issue. The issue is expected to be raised in Parliament again, when it reconvenes on July 3 for the monsoon session.

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