India
As such, there was no mention of the BJP or Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the speech by RSS sarkaryavah Bhaiyaji Joshi, which a section of the media spun stories out of
New Delhi: "Miffed over the delay in construction of Ram Mandir, RSS has now launched a direct attack at BJP-led govt. RSS believes that PM Modi's govt would not take any steps towards construction of Ram Mandir even after winning the upcoming Lok Sabha polls," read a caption of a video posted by Economic Times early on Friday.
The video, however, contained no such message from RSS sarkaryavah (joint head) Bhaiyaji Joshi. He was rather heard saying, "2025 men Ram Janmabhoomi ke oopar shreshth Ram Mandir banne ki ichchha ko aur gati prapt hogi. Ram Janmabhoomi par bhavya Ram Mandir ka nirman in mandiron par ek aur mandir jodne ki baat nahin hai. yah rashtra ki chetna ka kendra hai. karodon karod logon ki shraddha ka kendra hai. vishwas ka kendra hai. mandir to hazaaron hain. aur is ayodhya ke mandir nirman ke baad phir ek baar yeh desh agle 150 varshon ke liye pujya prapt karega, aage badhne waala desh banega."
There is no mention of the BJP or Prime Minister Narendra Modi in this speech. What Joshi said above implies that the coveted, grand Ram temple on the disputed plot of Ayodhya is not a matter of addition of a temple to thousands of temples that already exist in the country according to the RSS. Joshi says the temple will be an embodiment of the nation's consciousness. He says this is the demand of crores of Indians. He adds that the nation will see nothing but progress for 150 continuous years once the Ram Mandir has been built.
On Friday, keeping in view the misinterpretation by a section of the media, the RSS issued a clarification, saying there was no question of a difference between the BJP government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the RSS on the issue of Ram Mandir.
The statement from the RSS reads (translated): "The context of the speech by sarkaryavah Bhaiyaji Joshi at the Kumbh Mela is this: 'Festivities like the Kumbh Mela awaken the nation and its culture, and this, in turn, inspires society to take the country ahead on the path of development.'"
To clarify why Joshi mentioned the year 2025, the statement further reads: "Even on the occasion of the pran pratishtha (ritual of inducing life into a deity in Hinduism) in the Somnath Temple in 1951, the then President Rajendra Prasad had associated the reconstruction of a Somnath-like symbol of national pride to the prosperity of India. Six years later in 2025, there will be another Kumbh Mela. By then, the construction of the Ram Temple (in Ayodhya) is expected to be complete. This will take the nation ahead in the road to prosperity, which is the conviction Bhaiyaji Joshi expressed."
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