Ayodhya issue: Congress says all sides should abide by SC verdict, as court paves way for hearing

A guarded Congress on Thursday stressed that all sides should abide by the Supreme Court judgement on the Ram Temple-Babri Masjid issue, as the apex court paved the way for hearing the main title suit after setting aside a plea to set up a larger bench to relook a 1994 verdict which held a "mosque is not an essential part of the practice of Islam".

The opposition party also hit out at the BJP, accusing it of conspiring to mislead and befool the people of the country on the Ram temple issue. Congress leader Priyanka Chaturvedi said while the BJP garners votes in the name of Ram Temple, it sends Lord Ram to exile the moment it comes to power.

She questioned the BJP for not doing anything on the Ram Temple issue despite being in power and continuing to garner votes in the name of Lord Ram.

The Congress leader also accused the BJP of trying to mislead people on Rahul Gandhi's spiritual quest while undertaking the Mansarovar yatra earlier and now Chitrakoot yatra in Madhya Pradesh.

"The Congress has always said that whatever the decision of the Supreme Court in the matter of Ram Temple-Babri Masjid, all sides should abide by it and the government should implement it.

"Unfortunately, for the last 30 years after 1992, the BJP has been conspiring to mislead and befool the people of the country on the Ram Temple issue. BJP is a party which is double-faced on Ram and has "Nathuram" in their hearts," she said, referring to the assassin of Mahatma Gandhi.

Chaturvedi said after 1999, the BJP governments have ruled for over nine years. "In every election, to garner votes they remember Lord Ram and after coming to power they send him to exile. This double-speak of the BJP is its real face," she alleged.

The Congress leader accused the BJP of questioning the devotion that one has for Lord Shiva, saying it raised objections on Rahul Gandhi's Kedarnath yatra.

They have also raised a hue and cry on Gandhi's Kailash Mansarovar Yatra.

"Now when Rahul Gandhi is undertaking the Chitrakoot yatra, BJP people are worried and tense. They should understand that if they create hurdles in the devotion of God, they will be committing a sin as per ancient saying. I can only pray that may Lord grant you good sense," she said.

The Supreme Court on Thursday declined to set up a larger bench for a relook of its 1994 verdict which held a "mosque is not an essential part of the practice of Islam" paving the way for the apex court to hear the politically sensitive main Ayodhya title suit from October 29.

Ruling that the earlier observation was made in the limited context of "land acquisition" during the hearing of the Ayodhya case, the top court in a 2-1 verdict made it clear it was not relevant for deciding the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid title dispute, whose outcome will be eagerly awaited ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.