Talks won’t work, Ram Mandir will be built by 2024 through legislation: Swamy

BJP leader Subramanian Swamy said his party will have a clear majority in the Rajya Sabha by 2018, a development that could pave the way for enacting a ‘temple legislation’.

Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) parliamentarian Subramanian Swamy on Thursday claimed that the Ram Mandir will be constructed at Ayodhya by 2024.

BJP senior leader Subramanian Swamy at the flagging-off ceremony for the Tiranga Yatra in Jamshedpur on Thursday.(Manoj Kumar / HT Photo)

Flagging off a ‘Tiranga Yatra’ organised by local BJP leader Amarpreet Singh Kale to honour those martyred in the Indian freedom struggle, Swamy said his party will ensure that the structure is constructed even if it’s through “parliamentary legislation”.

The feisty Rajya Sabha member didn’t seem to favour the Supreme Court’s recommendation of an out-of-court settlement in the matter. “Bilateral talks are not enough to pave the way for the Ram temple,” he said. “I spoke to various Muslim leaders on the issue, but couldn’t arrive at a conclusion. The six-decade-old dispute can be resolved only through parliamentary legislation.”

Swamy said the BJP will have a clear majority in the Rajya Sabha by 2018, a development that could pave the way for enacting a law in this regard. “At present, we have a majority only in the Lok Sabha. For passing a law, we also need to secure a majority in the Rajya Sabha. Once that happens, we will ensure that the Ram Mandir is constructed by 2024,” he added.

He said the minority community should forsake its claim over the disputed site, and cooperate with Ram devotees in constructing the temple. “We will give them some space to construct a mosque on the other side of the Saryu river in Ayodhya,” Swamy added.

Swamy cited a 2003 geological survey report placed before the Allahabad high court to buttress his claim that Lord Ram was born on the disputed site. “Hence, the temple will be constructed on that very spot while the mosque can be set up elsewhere,” he said.