Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Governor Ram Naik on Thursday said that people of the nation want Ram Mandir to be built at Ayodhya and that wish should be fulfilled as soon as possible.
"Ram Mandir should be built as soon as possible. That is the wish of the Indian citizens and the wish should be fulfilled," he said in Ayodhya at the convocation programme of Awadh University at Faizabad, where he was the chief guest.
ast month, Naik had said that he was hopeful that in the next five years Prime Minister Narendra Modi will thrash out a solution to the Ram Janma Bhoomi-Ram Mandir tangle.
"So far, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has taken everybody along and is taking care of all major issues. I am sure in the next five years he will pay attention to the Ram Janma Bhoomi issue as well," he said.
Naik's statement comes just days after, the oldest litigant in Babri Masjid case, Mohammad Hashim Ansari, has declared that he doesn't want to pursue the matter any further and wants 'Ram Lalla' (infant Ram) to be free.
Speaking to the mediapersons, Ansari said that the people who are reaping political benefits are staying in bungalows whereas 'Ram Lalla' is living in a tent.
“I want to see 'Ram Lalla' free,” Ansari asserted.
Criticising Uttar Pradesh Minister Azam Khan for calling Ram Janambhoomi "a dead issue", Ansari took a dig at him and said that from now on Khan will pursue the case and not him.
He also accused Khan of playing politics over the Babri issue.
Last month Khan had said the Ayodhya issue was "almost dead" as a "temple already exists there" and alleged that the BJP wanted to keep it alive to vitiate the atmosphere.
Ansari is also seeking to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
"Whenever I will meet Modi, I will demand punishment to those responsible for Babri Masjid demolition and that the case be taken up in a fast track court...I am ready for peaceful negotiation," said Ansari.
