File photo of BJP President J P Nadda.
Credit: PTI Photo
BJP national president J P Nadda has claimed that the saffron party has no plans to build temples at the disputed sites in Mathura and Kashi
“BJP does not have any such idea, plan or desire. There are no discussions either. Our system works in a way in which the party’s thought process is set by the discussions in the Parliamentary board, then it goes to the national council which endorses it,” Nadda said in an interview with the Indian Express (IE).
Varanasi and Mathura are part of a decades-old ideological project by Hindu groups who argue that medieval-era Islamic structures were built by demolishing temples and therefore Hindus have rights over those structures.
When questioned that Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath and his Assam counterpart Himanta Biswa Sarma both have raised the pitch on building temples in their election campaign speeches, Nadda called it their individual 'style of talking' and pointed out that the BJP is a 'big party'.
“There is no ambiguity. The BJP had incorporated the demand for the Ram temple in its Palampur resolution (of June 1989). The temple became a reality after a long struggle. That was on our agenda. Some people become emotional or get excited and talk about other issues,” Nadda told IE.
Nadda also spoke on the equation between the saffron party and its ideological mentor Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), saying the BJP is capable of running its affairs on its own now and has grown from the time when it needed RSS to run the party.
Calling the Sangh an 'ideological front', Nadda said, "In the beginning, we would have been less capable, smaller and needed the RSS. Today, the BJP runs itself. That’s what political parties should do."