Treat construction of 'Ram Mandir' as 'Rashtra Mandir': Karnataka BJP chief

Bharatiya Janata Party’s Karnataka unit president and Lok Sabha MP Nalin Kumar Kateel on Saturday (November 9) urged members of all communities to treat the construction of the Ram Mandir as “Rashtra Mandir” and said that all should come together to build it.

The five-judge bench of the Supreme Court in an unanimous judgment on Saturday ruled in favour of construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya, while it ordered an alternate five-acre land to build a mosque.

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Terming this verdict as historic, Kateel said the dispute pertaining to the birth place of Lord Ram that persisted for five centuries has now been sorted out, which everyone should welcome. “Let us treat the construction of Ram Mandir as Rashtra Mandir. All the communities should come together to build it. This is the message delivered by the Supreme Court,” Kateel told news agency PTI.

The verdict displays the collective consensus of the nation keeping in view the common interest and placing above caste, creed and religion, Kateel said. It is not a victory or defeat of anybody as it is based on social justice and constitutional provisions, he added.

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Congratulating the judges who delivered the judgment, Kateel hailed the measures initiated by the state and central governments to maintain peace and harmony. He appealed to the people to unanimously accept the historic judgment. The verdict, said Kateel, gives a message to move together by respecting it.

(With inputs from agencies)