Will build Ram Mandir by constitutional norms: Amit Shah

Bharatiya Janata Party(BJP) national president Amit Shah on Saturday said that they will try to build Ram Mandir in Ayodhya according to the constitutional norms.

"The government under BJP rule will follow constitutional norms and build Ram Mandir in UP. By winning more than 300 seats in UP, the BJP would form the government," he said.

Shah asserted that there is no difference between building Ram Mandir and development.

Days after declaring that a "grand" temple will be built in Ayodhya if BJP gets majority, state unit chief Keshav Prasad Maurya sought on Friday to make amends, saying it would be built after Supreme Court's order but Uttar Pradesh will see 'Ram Rajya' if his party wrests power.

"Ram temple will be built in Ayodhya only after the order of the Supreme Court, but 'Ram Rajya' will soon prevail in the state with the party sweeping the UP assembly polls," Maurya said.

Shah today released the party's manifesto for the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, which will be held in seven phases from February 11.

While releasing the manifesto, called 'Lok Kalyan Sankalp Patra' (Pledge for People's Welfare), the BJP president said the party will form government in Uttar Pradesh with a two-thirds majority.

As parties brace for assembly elections in seven states including Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Gujarat in 2017, the Supreme Court earlier ruled that "religion, race, caste, community or language would not be allowed to play any role in the electoral process" and that election of a candidate would be declared null and void if an appeal is made to seek votes on these considerations.