Hopeful that Muslims will accept SC verdict on Ayodhya: Swamy

BJP leader Subramanian Swamy said he was hopeful of the Muslim community accepting the court judgement and allowing work on the project to take off.

New Delhi: BJP leader Subramanian Swamy on Saturday said he was confident that the Supreme Court will pronounce a "favourable" verdict in the Ram Janmabhoomi issue by August, paving way for construction of Ram Temple at Ayodhya by the year end.

Swamy, who has been trying to rally support for the Ram temple off late, said he was hopeful of the Muslim community accepting the court judgement and allowing work on the project to take off.

"I am confident the Supreme Court will give its judgement in our favour by August this year. I am hopeful the Muslim community will accept the judgement. We will begin construction of Ram Temple by this year-end," he told Rajat Sharma on his show Aap Ki Adalat on India TV channel.

In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday, Swamy had sought his intervention for day-to-day hearing of the Ram Janmabhoomi issue in Supreme Court to enable an early verdict.

On his controversial proposal to Muslim community to accept demand for temples at disputed places in Ayodhya, Kashi and Mathura and keep large number of mosques, he said he was confident that it will be accepted.

"I decided to offer a package similar to what Lord Krishna offered to Duryodhana - to keep the capital and give at least five villages to the Pandavas. But Duryodhana declined and the Mahabharata took place," a press release issued by the channel quoted Swamy as saying.

On Pathankot attack, the BJP leader said raids on Jaish-e-Mohammed offices by Pakistani authorities should not be taken seriously and that the terror outfit's chief Maulana Masood Azhar should be arrested and handed over to India soon.

"I have no objection to Modi having tea with Nawaz Sharif, but we should not go beyond that. Nawaz Sharif's words carry no weight," he said.

On the National Herald case, in which he is a petitioner, he said both Sonia and Rahul Gandhi were allegedly involved in wrongdoings and must be punished.

On the Centre granting him Z plus security and a bungalow in Lutyens Zone, Swamy said he was first given Z Plus security during the tenure of Prime Minister Narasimha Rao and it had continued during governments of H D Deve Gowda and I K Gujral.

"But Vajpayee withdrew my security, the situation remained the same during Manmohan Singh's regime," he said.