New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi today announced in parliament a trust to oversee the construction of a Ram Temple in Ayodhya, as ordered by the Supreme Court. He also said the Uttar Pradesh government had agreed to hand over five acres of alternative land in Ayodhya for a mosque.
“I am pleased to announce that a significant decision has been taken to follow the directives of the Supreme Court. As per the directions of the Supreme Court, the cabinet has prepared a detailed plan for the construction of Ram Temple at Ayodhya. My government has decided to set up a trust called Sri Ram Janmabhoomi Teertha kshetra, which will take decisions independently on the construction of a Ram temple and related issues,” PM Modi said in the Lok Sabha.
The entire 67 acres at the site had been handed over to the trust, he said.
“Aiye, Aiye (come, come). Let us all support construction of grand Ram Temple in Ayodhya,” he said, to desk-thumping and shouts of “Jai Shri Ram” from the government benches.
“I salute the 130 crore people of India,” said the PM, adding that in India, everyone, be it Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Christians, Buddhists, Parsis or Jains, was part of one “broad family”.
The Prime Minister said the decisions today were in line with the Supreme Court’s historic verdict in November that the disputed land in Ayodhya belonged entirely to the deity Ram Lalla or infant Lord Ram. The court had also said five acres of land should be given for a mosque at a prominent site in the holy town to the Sunni Waqf Board.
The Uttar Pradesh government today alloted that land for a mosque. The land is situated in Dhannipur village on the Lucknow highway, about 18 kilometres from the Ayodhya district headquarters, state government spokesperson Shrikant Sharma told reporters, reports news agency PTI.
