Ayodhya Dispute: Will launch 1992-like agitation to ensure construction of Ram Temple, says RSS

As Supreme Court's latest decision to roll out an ordinance route to Ayodhya issue took the Hindu Community by storm, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) on Friday said the organisation will not hesitate to launch a 1992-like agitation 'if needed' to ensure the construction of Ram Temple.

The Sangh said the Hindus were feeling “insulted” by the Supreme Court’s declaration that it had “other priorities” apart from Ram Janmabhoomi case. “We respect the Supreme Court and urge it to take into consideration sentiments of Hindus," RSS general secretary Bhaiyyaji Joshi said.

“The wait for the (Supreme) court’s verdict has been too long. Since the matter was listed on October 29, we felt Hindus would get good news before Diwali. But the Supreme Court deferred the hearing,” he added.

Joshi was addressing a press conference after a three-day RSS conclave on the outskirts of Mumbai, Maharashtra.

“The government should consider this option if all other options run out... it is up to the government,” Joshi said, adding that “the Supreme court should respect Hindu sentiments and we respect the apex court".

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Earlier in the day, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah met RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat and according to Joshi, the Ram Temple issue was one of those important matters discussed between the leaders.

Latest developments:

The Supreme Court on October 29 fixed the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid land dispute case for the first week of January before a three-member “appropriate bench”.

A three-judge bench, headed by CJI Ranjan Gogoi, said the appropriate bench will decide the future course of hearing in January 2019. The apex court is dealing with a bunch of petitions filed against the Allahabad High Court's 2010 verdict in the Ayodhya land dispute case.

History:

The three-judge bench of the Allahabad High Court, in a 2:1 majority ruling, had on September 30, 2010, ordered that the land should be partitioned equally among three parties - the Sunni Waqf Board, the Nirmohi Akhara and Ram Lalla.

The Babri Masjid was built by Mughal emperor Babur in Ayodhya back in 1528. Later on December 6, 1992, Hindu Karsevaks destroyed the mosque during a political rally claiming that the Ram temple, situated in the land was actually demolished to construct the mosque.

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Though there was no such evidence that the disputed structure was constructed after demolition of a temple, the court agreed that a temple or a temple structure predated the mosque at the same site. Moreover, the excavations by the Archaeological Survey of India also suggested that the predating structure was a massive Hindu religious building. Since then the matter has been in the light and turned into a political riot in India.