RAJNATH SINGH’S firist visit to Ayodhya after assuming charge as BJP national president proved to be a lacklustre one on Wednesday.
However, he chose the occasion to announce that a grand Ram Janmabhoomi Temple would be constructed at any cost. He claimed that only the BJP could pave the way for it. At the grass roots level, the visit failed to evoke any response either from people in the twin cities of Ayodhya and Faizabad, or BJP workers.
There were no slogan-shouting crowds, welcome arches, or even queues to meet him. A gathering of sants and sadhus, including Mahant Nritya Gopal Das and Dr Ram Vilas Das Vedanti, was the only face-saver. They gave their blessings to Singh at the ‘Nav Varsh Vikrami Sanvat Mahotsav’ organised by newly-elected Rajya Sabha member Vinay Katiyar at Bhagwatacharya Smarak Sadan in Ayodhya.
The sants also gave a piece of their mind to Singh. Nritya Gopal Das warned that the BJP should be ready to face the consequences, if it dropped Hindutva and the Ram Janmabhoomi issues from its agenda. At this, the BJP president assured the sants and a thin gathering at the function that Hindutva and the Ram Janambhoomi issues had never been dropped.
These would continue to be on the party’s agenda, whether the BJP was in power or not, he said.
{{/usCountry}}These would continue to be on the party’s agenda, whether the BJP was in power or not, he said.
{{/usCountry}}As the solar eclipse prevented Singh’s from having a darshan of Ram Lalla, he took a round (parikrama) of the Ram Kot, along with Nritya Gopal Das and other sadhus to seek the blessings of Lord Ram.
In a brief address, Singh expressed concern over the minority appeasement policy of the Central Government, increasing infiltration by Bangladeshis, particularly in the North-East. He disclosed that he had directed chief ministers of BJP-ruled States to throw illegal migrants out. The other factors threatening the unity and integrity of the nation and its secular fabric that Singh listed were forced conversion of the poor, mainly in tribal areas by Christian Missionaries, religion-based reservation in educational institutions and a soft stand on terrorists.
He said the basic purpose of his proposed Rashtriya Suraksha Yatra from Bhubaneswar from April 6 was to raise awareness among people about wrong policies of the Central Government.
Earlier, Singh told scribes that the law and order situation in the State was poor. He demanded imposition of President’s Rule.
The State BJP almost ignored the visit. Only State unit chief Keshari Nath Tripathi, along with Dr Surjit Singh Dung, reached Faizabad to welcome Singh.