Ram temple issue has become another 'jumla' for BJP: Shiv Sena
Mumbai, Dec 20 : The Shiv Sena Thursday attacked senior ally BJP over the Ayodhya issue, saying the construction of Ram temple at the disputed site has become another 'jumla' (rhetoric) for the party and it would lead to their ouster from power.
The party said the BJP has not woken up despite its recent electoral defeats in three states and is not ready to learn from what RSS sarsanghchalak Mohan Bhagwat has to say in the context of teachings of the Bhagavad Gita.
There is pressure within the BJP to construct the Ram temple in Ayodhya, but when will "achhe din" (good days) come for Lord Ram, the Sena asked.
"Shree (Mohan) Bhagwat, while citing the Bhagavad Gita says what is the use of the arrogance (by saying) what 'I' do is the best. 'I' did this. He has given a guiding principle for the BJP," the Uddhav Thackeray-led party said.
"But what is the use? This government, like Kumbhakarna (the demon king Ravana's brother known for sleeping for months at a stretch), is not ready to wake up even after humiliating defeats in three states," the Sena said in an editorial in party mouthpiece 'Saamana'.
The BJP recently lost power to the Congress in the three electorally important states of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.
The Sena said the whole country wanted the temple to be built and that was the reason it voted for the BJP in 2014.
"However, as the issue too became another 'jumla' for the party, its journey for 'wapsi' (ouster from power) has begun," the party said.
"When will achhe din come for Lord Ram, who is living in an open tent for the last 25 years while those in power are warming their seats," it said in sarcastic remarks.
However, on Wednesday, speaking at an event organised by the Republic TV, BJP Chief Amit Shah said "If the Supreme Court conducts daily hearings of the Babri demolition case, it will not take more than 10 days to get a verdict."
"Ayodhya is a title issue. The BJP clearly states that we want to build a temple on the same site. The case was pending before the SC much before 2014. We have requested the court to clear the case and complete its hearings at the earliest," Shah had said.
The Sena claimed there was a lot of pressure within the BJP to construct the Ram temple. Questions over its construction are being raised in every meeting of the party but its high command has "no answers".
"Internally, the party has become restless as the rulers do not have a proper plan," the Marathi daily claimed.
The Sena, an ally of the BJP at the Centre and in Maharashtra, also demanded that cases against those who demolished the Babri mosque be withdrawn.
"Leave aside bringing an ordinance for Ram temple. You have not even taken back cases against those who demolished the Babri Masjid. Now that the presidential elections are long over and Lal Krishna Advani isn't going to be the president, dissolve the Babri court," the Sena demanded.
Advani was widely tipped as a front-runner for the post of President in July 2017 before a Supreme Court ruling in April that year on the Babri Masjid demolition case effectively ruled him out of the race.
On April 19, 2017, the Supreme Court had said BJP stalwarts Advani, M M Joshi and Uma Bharti would be prosecuted for serious offence of criminal conspiracy in the politically-sensitive 1992 Babri Masjid demolition case and had ordered day-to-day hearing and trial concluded in two years.
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Gehlot changes profile pic to 'Save Aravalli', asks Centre to reconsider definition
Jaipur (PTI): Congress leader Ashok Gehlot on Thursday urged the Centre to reconsider its definition of the Aravallis, warning that any damage to the mountain range posed a serious threat to the ecological future of north India.
Gehlot, a former Rajasthan chief minister, changed his social media profile picture in support of the nationwide 'SaveAravalli' campaign amid growing debate over mining and environmental safeguards in the Aravalli Range.
It was his symbolic protest against the new interpretation under which hills lower than 100 metres are no longer being recognised as part of the Aravalli system, he said.
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"The Aravalli cannot be judged by tape measures or height alone. It must be assessed by its ecological importance," Gehlot said, adding that the revised definition raised "a big question" over the future of north India.
Appealing to the Centre and the Supreme Court, Gehlot said the issue must be reconsidered in the interest of future generations and environmental security. He also urged citizens to participate in the campaign by changing their display pictures online to draw attention to the issue.
He said the Aravalli range functioned as a natural green wall against the expansion of the Thar desert and extreme heatwaves, protecting Delhi, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh. Opening up smaller hills and so-called gap areas for mining would allow desertification to advance rapidly, he warned.
Gehlot also flagged concerns over air pollution, saying the hills and forests of the Aravallis acted as the "lungs" of the National Capital Region by checking dust storms and absorbing pollutants.
"When pollution levels are so alarming even with the Aravalli standing, one can imagine how disastrous the situation will be without it," he said.
Highlighting the water crisis, the former chief minister said the rocky terrain of the Aravallis played a crucial role in groundwater recharge by channelising rainwater underground.
"If the hills are destroyed, drinking water shortages will intensify, wildlife will disappear and the entire ecology will be pushed into danger," he said.
Gehlot argued that, from a scientific perspective, the Aravallis was a continuous chain and that even smaller hillocks were as vital as higher peaks.
