Govt plea on Ayodhya land: BJP sees it as step towards building Ram temple

Weeks before the national elections, BJP leaders on Tuesday sought to present the central government's move to return undisputed land in Ayodhya to its original owners, including Ram Janambhoomi Nyas, as a step towards starting "work" on building a Ram temple in the holy city of Uttar Pradesh.

With the RSS-led Hindutva organisations pushing for a law to build the temple at the disputed site, a BJP leader said the government's plea in the Supreme Court is an attempt to redress the "deep sense of anguish of Ram devotees and the BJP cadres".

The comments came hours after the Centre asked the Supreme Court to allow it to return the "non-disputed" surplus land acquired around the disputed structure in Ayodhya to the Nyas and other original owners.

The leader recalled that the biggest applaud the BJP president Amit Shah's speech in the party's recent convention had received from thousands of delegates was when he reiterated the party's commitment to the temple construction.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's brief mention of the emotive issue had also drawn loud cheers, he said.

Amid demands for a law, Modi had said that his government would wait for the apex court's decision on the matter but the "delay" in the matter has been causing consternation among the 'sadhus' and the party's core Hindutva supporters.

Underlining the significance of the government's petition, the senior government functionary and the party leader said, "We have to be concerned about their sentiments. People who want a Ram temple have always supported us. There has to be political massaging by the government that we care for their emotions."