RSS says Ram temple will be built but refuses to spell out timeline for it's construction

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New Delhi: A senior RSS leader on Monday said Ram temple will be built in Ayodhya but refused to spell out the timeline while saying that it should happen peacefully with Muslims and Christians also joining in the endeavour.

"I pledge the temple will be built. But if you ask me the date... one never knows the date of his death," RSS leader Indresh Kumar said at an event here.

"But things should take place peacefully. I am telling you thousands, lakhs of Muslims will come on streets for building the (Ram) temple. Christians too will join. Not only this, members of all parties will join us," said Kumar, the patron of RSS' Muslim unit 'Rashtriya Muslim Manch'.

Kumar, who was speaking at a book release function which was attended also by Congress leader Digvijay Singh, claimed that people of the country are the "common" ancestors "irrespective of their religion".

Reminded of RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat's reported pledge of constructing the temple in his lifetime, Kumar evaded a direct reply and said, "One should understand sanctity of the oath."

"Each great warrior of the country born between 1857 and 1947 had vowed to achieve Independence for India in their lifetime. Did they tell lie? No, that's a pledge. Ridiculing pledge is insulting to those great men," he said.

Digvijay Singh said India, "like any other multi-ethnic" country in the world, has "immense" problems to deal with such as unemployment and poverty and suggested that the country should wait for the Supreme Court verdict on the issue.

"I personally feel that this issue of Ram Janmabhumi, it has been debated, discussed so many times. And now it is pending in the Supreme Court. Let the SC look into all facts, hear all parties and then take the decision. But unfortunately, some people will again like to politicise the issue," the Congress leader rued.

Singh said former Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao was "very keen" to see the issue resolved and had tried to "de-politicise" the same.

"This issue can only be resolved by amicable discussion, rather than creating a conflict. ... we are fighting against poverty, unemployment and we have now a battle in Pathankot today... I would urge all the right-thinking people to await the SC decision," he said.

Besides Kumar and Singh, the event was addressed by VHP spokesman Vijay Shankar Tiwari, Hindu Mahasabha president Chandar Prakash Kaushik, historian Saradindu Mukherji, archaeologist KN Dikshit and journalist Manoj Raghuvanshi.

Meanwhile, VHP's Delhi unit said its members should "get ready" to make "all possible" sacrifice for building the temple.

"In 2016, the organisation will be strengthened. In 2017, Kar Sevaks should get ready to make all possible sacrifice to construct the temple. The road to construct the temple goes from Delhi. If need be, we also have the option to gherao the Parliament," Anil Kumar, organisational secretary of Delhi VHP, said in a statement. 

(With PTI inputs)