Chatterbox: Ram temple brings back focus on Ram Vilas Vedanti, again

Ram Vilas Vedanti, former Member of Parliament of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and one of those in the forefront of the Mandir Wahin Banayenge movement, has come into the limelight again after many years. He has declared he was one of those who demolished the Badri Masjid at Ayodha, claimed as the birthplace of Ram.

Surrounded by saffron clad sadhus, Vedanti sought to shield senior BJP leaders L K Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi from allegations of conspiracy. He said while the dome was being demolished, Advani and Joshi kept telling people not to do it. But, he and people like him hit the dome repeatedly until it came down.

‘You can hang me for wanting to build the Ram temple in Ayodhya if you want’, he said.

Alliance of the decade in the making?

At the end of the Budget session of Parliament, its Central Hall had a number of visitors including Odisha Chief Minister (CM) Naveen Patnaik and former Uttar Pradesh CM Akhilesh Yadav. The air was thick with rumour of a new opposition line-up, with West Bangal CM Mamata Bannerjee and Bahujan Samaj Party Chief Mayawati also present. But, the news of the day was that Akhilesh Yadav walked up to Mayawati to tell her that since he was the younger of the two, she should take the lead and head the opposition alliance against the BJP. If that is translated into reality, it would be the alliance of the decade!