"How strange it is that whenever elections approach, the discussion of Ram temple comes up. No one objects to the construction of the Ram temple, we all want it. But even Lord Ram won't want his temple at a disputed land," ANI quoted former Madhya Pradesh chief minister as saying.
He alleged the sole aim of the BJP was to make the construction of the Ram temple controversial.
"The government says it will accept the court's ruling. Uttar Pradesh chief minister (Yogi Adityanath) says that the temple will be built when Lord Ram wishes. And other leaders demand an ordinance. They want to make the construction of the Ram temple construction," he said.
The Congress and the BJP are locked in a direct battle in Madhya Pradesh with the saffron party seeking a fourth straight term while the grand old party trying hard to stage a come back after a hiatus of 15 years. Thus, missing no opportunity to fire salvos at each other.
There surfaced an acrimonious spat between the ruling BJP and the Congress over a reference to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in the opposition party's manifesto. Congress manifesto for November 28 Assembly polls in the state vows to ban shakhas of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh on government premises and stop government employees from attending RSS shakhas.
The BJP had lashed out at the Congress for being "opposed to Lord Ram and the RSS".
"The Congress believes in mandir nahin banane denge, shakha nahin lagne denge (won't allow the temple, won't allow shakhas). These are the very people who had earlier said that Lord Ram did not exist, that he was a mythical character. That's why they were opposed to the construction of the Ram temple," BJP spokesperson Samit Patra had said.
The Congress government had banned RSS activities on government premises in Madhya Pradesh in 1981. The ban was revived in 2000 by then chief minister Digvijay Singh, and it continued under BJP chief ministers Uma Bharti and Babulal Gaur, before chief minister Chouhan lifted it in 2006.