Govt should bring Ordinance to build Ram Temple: Swamy

New Delhi [India] March 17 (ANI): Rajya Sabha MP and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Subramanian Swamy has written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said that the government should bring an Ordinance to construct a Ram Temple on the disputed site in Ayodhya.

He informed the Prime Minister that the main civil suit is before the Supreme Court and is posted for March 23, "but I am out of this case, and instead my earlier writ petition has been revived by the Chief Justice of India in which the Government is the respondent".

In the writ petition, Swamy had sought enforcement of his fundamental right to worship at Ram temple on the disputed site in Ayodhya.

He also enclosed an affidavit filed by former Narasimha Rao Government in the Supreme Court on September 14, 1994, and said, "Narasimha Rao Government stated on oath that if there was a pre-existing temple before the masjid was built, then the government would hand over the land to Hindus to build the Ram Temple."

Citing an Archaeological Survey of India report filed in the Allahabad High Court and in the Supreme Court, Swamy said, "The report said there was indeed a pre-existing temple whose foundations are still visible underground at the spot where Babri Masjid once stood."

Swamy wrote that "therefore the Government can bring an Ordinance (for subsequent passage of Bill in Parliament) on the ownership of Ram Janmabhoomi land (presently nationalised by, and in the custody of the Union Government) and thus pass a law to handover the Ram Janmabhoomi land to an eminent body of religious leaders, especially well versed in Agama Sastra, with a direction to build a Ram Temple on the Ram Janmabhoomi".

Swamy said it would be the best approach under the present circumstances to end the litigation.

Amid claims and counter-claims by various Hindu and Muslim leaders over the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid site in Ayodhya, the Supreme Court on Thursday refused to be drawn into religious arguments, saying it was only a property dispute.

The court is hearing a total of 13 appeals filed against the 2010 judgment of the Allahabad High Court in four civil suits. They challenge the Allahabad High Court verdict that mandated a three-way division of the disputed 2.77-acre site.

The Lucknow bench of Allahabad High Court had ruled in favour of partitioning the land equally among three parties-the Sunni Waqf Board, Nirmohi Akhara and the 'Ram Lalla' (infant Lord Ram), represented by the Hindu Mahasabha.

Ram Janambhoomi- Babri Masjid dispute is a century old point of a tussle between Hindus and Muslims.

The mosque was demolished by Hindu Karsevaks on December 6, 1992, in Ayodhya. The country witnessed massive riots in which over 2000 people were killed. (ANI)