RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat demands law for Ram temple construction in Ayodhya

NEW DELHI: RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Thursday said the government should enact a law to build the Ram temple at Ayodhya. In his annual Vijayadashami speech, he also warned against judicial activism, asking judges to be mindful of traditions and the Indian family system while giving judgements.
“People are questioning why the temple is not being built despite their chosen government in power,” he said. “The temple should have been built by now, but political parties are doing politics over it,” the RSS chief said.

Bhagwat’s remarks come a fortnight after a high-powered VHP committee demanded a law to build the Ram temple. The panel of VHP leaders had appealed to the Modi government to take Parliament route to show the nation who all don’t believe in Ram.

Commenting on the SC’s recent Sabarimala verdict, Bhagwat said: “The views of the faithful have been ignored to favour the nonbelievers.” He said: “Any change in society happens through ‘tapasya’ and change in the mindset, not through judicial reforms. Change cannot happen because you or someone wants it. Courts should keep these things in mind while giving orders.”

“In the Sabarimala case, the believers have been completely ignored. Every ‘sampradaya’ in our country is different. These decisions have to be taken by the concerned religious heads.”

For the first time, Bhagwat made a veiled reference to the Rafale deal, saying the country should make defence deals on its own terms and not get compelled to agree to the other party’s terms and conditions.

“Safest is the country that is selfreliant in matters of security. Those who can’t take care of their security can be forced by others to enter into deals which may not be favourable to them. That should not happen to us,” he said, adding that while it was fine, at times, to depend on others for technology for one’s own security, the country must focus on manufacturing its own equipment.

“Sometimes, the terms of the trade are such that they will give us something only if we agree to buy something from them. There is no need to stop this give and take. We can be part of international trade to sell our own products. We should not get into trade just because we cannot produce our own defence equipment,” he said.

Bhagwat said it was important for the country to increase its military strength. “Though there is a new government in place, the ceasefire violations from their (Pakistan) side have not stopped. We have to be so strong that the enemy doesn’t have the courage to take us on. We have to be strong so that there is no possibility of a war,” he added.

Bhagwat also said the government should continue with its crackdown on anti-India forces. Five wellknown activists in the country were arrested in the recent past for their alleged links with Naxals. “The people who shouted Bharat ‘tere tukde honge’ don’t believe in the Constitution. There are also people who have links with terrorists. This is also being spread on social media. Are people in Pakistan or Italy or America doing this?” he said, adding that ‘urban Maoists’ used the tribals as “cannon and fodder” to manipulate them.

The RSS chief also asked whether social media campaigns against India were being fuelled from Pakistan or the US, and whether a psychological warfare against the country was being crafted by outside forces. “Law cannot save us, we ourselves have to. Even children have two mobile phones now. Every household has a TV. Content spreads like that. But who is creating this content. Values are the only thing that can save us now.”

The Dussehra function is significant in the Sangh’s yearly calendar as it was established on Vijayadashami day in 1925 and the sarsanghchalak, or RSS chief, always addresses a gathering of followers to mark the day. This year’s chief guest was Nobel prize winner Kailash Satyarthi.