Sangh outfits unlikely to rake up Ram temple issue this election

“We do not doubt government’s commitment,” say Sangh members

The Supreme Court has set up a three-member mediation team to find an amicable solution to the Ayodhya dispute | AP The Supreme Court has set up a three-member mediation team to find an amicable solution to the Ayodhya dispute | AP

Reliable sources in the RSS, and other Sangh organisations have told THE WEEK that the Ram Temple issue will not be raked up in any manner in the 2019 general elections, and that all of them are ready to wait till the three-member mediation team—comprising former Supreme Court judge F.M.I. Kalifulla, spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and legal expert Sriram Panchu—appointed by the apex court comes to a consensus.

“We will give full support to the BJP and work towards building a strong nation under a strong government. That is the only priority for us now and nothing else,” said Manmohan Vaidya, RSS’s general secretary, to THE WEEK. 

The same point was reiterated by BJP leader Vinay Katiyar, who is one of the leading faces of the Ram Janmabhoomi movement. “We are fighting the election in the name of PM Narendra Modi and all the good work he has done. There is for sure a Modi wave across the country. Ram Temple is not an issue in this election. We will not discuss it in the election,” said Katiyar to THE WEEK. 

The RSS, apparently, sees the 2019 election as a fight between two beliefs—on the one hand, it says, are people who blatantly oppose the idea and concept of India and proclaim India as a mixture of different sub-nationalities, and on the other hand are nationalist forces who believe India is one strong nation with the oldest civilisation in the world. 

An office-bearer of the RSS said that ultra left radicals and “urban naxals” want an end to the Modi rule once and for all, and that they are desperate to see a “weak Modi” falling on his knees. “Such a scenario will bring immense joy to them. More than the Congress, it is these left liberals, dalit intellectuals and urban naxals who want a complete end to the Modi era. In 2014, they could not stomach the fact that Modi was their prime minister, in spite of all the hate campaigns against him. If Modi wins yet another term, it puts an end forever to their narrative.”

Members of the Sangh Parivar say they do not doubt the government’s commitment towards building a Ram Temple, but there are other priorities for now. 

Said Surendra Jain, joint general secretary of the VHP, to THE WEEK, “The Ram Tempe issue will not be used by any of us in this election. We will not talk about it. Till the elections are over there will not be any movement from our side. We do not doubt the government’s intent but more needs to be done for this cause. This is the only government that has sincerely worked towards building a Ram Temple in Ayodhya. It was only this government that moved the Supreme Court seeking return of 67 acres near the disputed land in Ayodhya that belonged to Hindus. No other government had even thought about it. We are thankful to the government for what they have done. We will wait till the final judgment comes out, which, we believe, will not happen before May 23 [counting day].” 

BJP pins big hopes on Kerala

Even in states like Kerala where the BJP has a limited presence, the RSS has decided to preside over the BJP campaign with workers of the RSS being assigned select roles, right from the booth level. 

Said P. Gopalankutty Master, Kerala state secretary of the RSS, to THE WEEK, “The state government in Kerala has insulted Hindus in the state in every manner possible after the Sabarimala verdict of the Supreme Court. We want a strong government headed by a strong person to rule the country and fight for the cause of Hindus. We will not publicly campaign for the BJP in the state. But we will go from house to house in each constituency in the state and tell the voters for the need to elect a strong government in the country.” 

He said the RSS is pinning its hopes on two constituencies in Kerala—Thiruvananthapuram and Pathanamthitta. “There is a very good chance of the BJP winning these two seats. At the national and state levels, we keep giving suggestions to the BJP leaders who take our views seriously. Nothing is imposed on them, though,” said Gopalankutty Master.