Shiv Sena asks Mohan Bhagwat to announce date of Ram temple construction

Welcoming RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat's remarks on construction of a Ram temple during his lifetime, the Shiv Sena on Saturday said he should announce a date for its commencement.

"We welcome the stand taken by Mohan Bhagwat on the issue. He should now announce a date for the commencement of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya to give an impetus to the issue.... If a temple cannot be built there despite the bloodshed that happened over the issue, what about the hundreds of people who sacrificed their lives for the cause," the Sena said in an editorial in its mouthpiece 'Saamana'.

It said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has the 'courage' to build a Ram Temple in Ayodhya and that his popularity will only increase once he takes the issue in his hands.

"To show that it is not only the minorities who are pampered by the government, construction of a Ram temple is a necessity.... If it is not built now, it can never be built," it said.

"This issue cannot be prolonged anymore. It needs to be finished now. The blood that has been shed over the issue should not be disrespected," the Sena, which is an NDA constituent, said.

Bhagwat had on Wednesday said, "The grand goal may be realised in our own time. May be we can see it with our own eyes." "None can say when and how the temple will be constructed, but we need to be prepared and ready," he had said.