Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said Monday that the Ram temple inauguration in Ayodhya on January 22 serves as a befitting reply to those who mocked the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over its longstanding promise to build the temple.
Opposition parties, including the Congress, frequently criticized the BJP's commitment to the Ram temple project, accusing it of using the issue for political gain without a clear timeline for completion.
Speaking at the Atal Sanskriti Gaurav Awards event, Fadnavis lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi for fulfilling the dreams of former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee by overseeing the construction of the Ram temple and the abrogation of Article 370, which granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir. He reminisced about Vajpayee facing taunts in Lok Sabha over his government's omission of the Ram temple, Uniform Civil Code, and Article 370 from its common minimum program. Atalji then explained that he was leading a coalition government with 22 parties, Fadnavis said.
However, Atalji also asserted that if his party ever gained a majority, the Ram temple would be built and Article 370 would be scrapped. This vision has materialized under Modi's leadership, the deputy CM added. Fadnavis further took a dig at the opposition, stating that some parties are now questioning whether the Ram temple is the BJP's private property.
These are the same people who used to mock us by saying mandir wahi banayenge par tarikh nahi batayenge (we will build the temple but won't tell you the date). Now, not only is the temple built, but the date for idol consecration has also been announced, he remarked.