Lucknow, Feb 7 After the demand for the inclusion of a Dalit in the Shri Ram Janambhoomi Teertha Kshetra Trust, there is now a demand for an OBC member in the trust.
Former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Kalyan Singh, while referring to the inclusion of Kameshwar Chaupal, a Scheduled Caste member from Patna in the trust, said on Friday: "Not just Dalits but backwards too should get representation in the Ram Mandir Trust as they are as staunch a Ram Bhakt as the former."
The BJP leader said: "I want to congratulate Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah for the commendable work. My wish to see the grand temple in Ayodhya in this lifetime may now get fulfilled. Not just Dalits, but also Backwards are staunch Ram Bhakts, they should also get representation in the Trust."
Recalling the Ram Mandir movement during his tenure as chief minister, Kalyan Singh said: "I went to jail for a day and was fined Rs 2,000. I am facing criminal conspiracy case in the CBI court as of now. If I am proven guilty, I will be punished, else I will be acquitted."
Asked about his role in the trust, he said: "Main jaisa bhi hoon, theek hoon" (I am fine the way I am).
A section of saints and seers, including Acharya Satyendra Das, the chief priest of the makeshift Ram temple, had earlier demanded that Kalyan Singh should be included in the proposed trust, in view of his role in the temple movement.
Kalyan Singh was Uttar Pradesh chief minister when the Babri mosque was demolished on December 6, 1992. His government was dismissed hours after the demolition and Singh was sent to jail for a day for contempt of court since he had given an undertaking that he would protect the mosque.
Singh later admitted that he had given orders that no firing should be done on the 'Kar Sevaks' in Ayodhya.
Meanwhile, another BJP leader Uma Bharti, also former Madhya Pradesh chief minister, told a news channel in Bhopal that she backed Kalyan Singh's demand.
"I am with Kalyan Singh on this because many OBCs, including me, were at the forefront of the Ayodhya Ram Temple movement. This is important because OBCs around that time were influenced by the Samajwadis," she said.
( With inputs from IANS )