Congress delaying Ram temple construction, threatening judges: Modi

Addressing an election rally, the Prime Minister also hit out at the Congress for indulging in "caste politics and touching a 'new low' in politics"

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday accused the Congress party of adopting "delaying tactics" in the Supreme Court to create hurdles in the construction of Ram temple at Ayodhya and playing a "dangerous game" of threatening the judges with impeachment.

Addressing an election rally here, the Prime Minister also hit out at the Congress for indulging in "caste politics and touching a 'new low' in politics".

"The Congress sends senior lawyers of Supreme Court to Rajya Sabha, where we do not have majority...where the numbers are different. That's why Congress had adopted a new tactic.

"When the case of Ayodhya was going on, a Congress leader and Rajya Sabha member was telling the Supreme Court not to hear the case till 2019, because there are several elections till then," Modi said.

He was referring to Congress leader Kapil Sibal, who had urged the Supreme Court to defer hearing in the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid title suit till July 2019.
 

"Is it fair to drag the country's judiciary into politics in this way? Is it right to put pressure on the Supreme Court and the judiciary? But the Congress men say this shamelessly in the Supreme Court," he said.

Stating that he is "making a serious allegation" against the Congress, the Prime Minister said: "If a judge of the Supreme Court does not make the judicial schedule in accordance with thier political intentions, they create hurdles in the Supreme Court which wants to hear a serious and sensitive issue like Ayodhya (that aims) to provide justice to the people."

He said that the Congress then launched a new "game" of threatening justices to impeach them.

"This is dangerous game. In the name of impeachment, the Congress is committing the crime of derailing the judicial system. It is stopping the Supreme Court from hearing a sensitive issue.

"The Congress, which has no faith in judiciary and on judges, is trying to capture the country by bringing impeachment on the basis of their strength in Rajya Sabha. They can never be forgiven," Modi said amid chants of "Jai Shri Ram".

The Prime Minister said he wants to assure the judges and the judiciary that till the time Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is in power, it will not allow the Congress' "black deeds" (Kale Kaarname) within the temple of democracy.
 

"We will stop it with full force. I want to tell the judges not be afraid of impeachment threats. You courageously go on the path of justice. The country will walk with you. I want to assure you," he said.

He also hit out at the Congress for disrupting parliamentary proceedings and urged the intellectuals to "analyse" their deeds.

Accusing the Congress of playing "divisive politics" and indulging into "caste politics", Modi said the opposition party has touched a "new low" and forgotten all courtesies.

He said all this is done under the patronage of Congress President Rahul Gandhi.
 

"Congressmen are abusing my mother. They are asking my caste. I am not surprised at all. Whoever is speaking is speaking at the behest of 'naamdar'," he said, adding that the Congress which played caste politics did not confer Bharat Ratna to Baba Saheb Bhimrao Ambedkar because he opposed the party.

Modi said he wants to tell the "naamdars" that when the head of country visits any foreign country, the world doesn't recognise him with his caste or Modi but identifies him with 125 crore Indians.

"Those who till yesterday threatened to drop bombs on India are begging today due to our strategy. Modi's caste was not behind it. It was because of the 125 crore Indians," he said without taking name of Pakistan.