A Sadhu Threatens to Self-Immolate If Ram Mandir Isn’t Built Soon

“It’is not Dharam Sabha, it’s Adharm Sabha,” says a sadhu about VHP’s meet in Ayodhya on Ram Mandir issue.

‘Mandir won’t be made on its own, we all must try for it’, says a resident of Ayodhya.

Image: The Quint

Video Editor: Mohd Ibrahim
Video Producer: Fabeha Syed

Sadhus of Ayodhya have expressed their disappointment over the ‘Dharm-Sabha’ organised by the VHP on 25 November in Ayodhya. They accuse BJP of not doing enough for the construction of Ram Mandir.

Most sadhus and priests of Ayodhya distanced themselves from the ‘sabha’. They said that they were not invited to the event because they are speaking out vociferously on the temple issue, and the BJP does not like that.

“Organising such a religious meet means nothing. If the VHP really wants to build Ram Mandir, then they should pressure the PM. They should, in fact, say that they, along with RSS, will boycott the BJP if the temple isn’t made before the 2019 elections.”

Satyendra Das Head Priest, Ram Janmbhoomi

Priests feel that the BJP likes to consult religious leaders so it can keep the issue of Ram Mandir burning just to maintain a hold on the larger public sentiment. One of the priests also threatened to end his life if the construction date of Ram Mandir is not announced soon.

“Shri Guru Das Aggarwal ji started a hunger strike for cleaning the Ganga. When he was alive, Modi ji didn’t care. Then Modi ji commented that his martyrdom will clean the Ganga. Then I thought maybe my death will get Modi ji thinking about constructing the temple. If the government doesn’t constitutionally solve the issue of Ram Mandir by 5 December, then I’ll self-immolate on 6 December. I have in fact got my pyre prepared for that already.”

Mahant Paramhans Das, Tapsvi ji Chhavni

People of Ayodhya also complained that they feel the Ram Mandir issue will not be getting resolved anytime soon. Some of the locals who The Quint spoke to, said that the BJP always promised constructing the Ram Temple on the condition that they are elected to power, but when they win, nothing happens.

“We have been watching this drama unfold for many years. These issues couldn’t be addressed without a mutual understanding between political parties. People thought that in today’s ‘dharam sabha’, a final date of construction of the Ram Mandir would be announced. The only motivation for this event is the upcoming elections, and nothing else.”

Vikas Srivastava Local, Ayodhya

“It is not ‘Dharam Sabha’, it’s ‘Adharm Sabha’. If it was a religious meet, then religious men like us would have been called. All political parties are doing nothing but advancing their respective political purposes.”

Ram Janm Das Sadhu, Ayodhya