It’s a tribute to the tolerance and benevolence of Hindu Dharma and its preachers that millions of Bharatiyas throughout the world waited patiently for the apex court verdict for 3 decades for the consecration of Ayodhya with the murti of Bhagwan Rama at his birth place. Since the demolition of the Babri Masjid and the laying of the first brick on the Ram Janmbhoomi Sthal, much water has flown down the Sarayu river whose serene waters seem to have cleansed many a soul across the political canvas of this great nation.

The virulence and venom which the national and regional parties exhibited in 1992 has turned into quiet submission by those who opposed Bhagwan Ram temple for the last 28 years.

The historic Supreme court verdict paved the way for the construction of the Ram temple and it was only befitting that Prime Minister Modi – who was the charioteer of L K Advani when the latter undertook his famous Rath Yatra from Somnath to Ayodhya – laid the foundation stone of the sacred temple on August 5 a date which a large majority of the 130 crore Bharatiyas will regard as important and momentous as August 15 as the PM also reiterated while addressing seers after the bhoomi pujan.

While the oldest national party of the country which all along vehemently opposed anything remotely associated with the temple construction conveniently overlooking archaeological proofs and evidences pandering & pestering a particular vote bank has suddenly done a somersault seeing the overwhelming support for Ram Lalla .

Thus, top leaders of the party have started chanting “Jai Siyaram”, though some garrulous leaders are still skeptical about the timing of the bhoomi pujan terming it as inauspicious. Even the regional parties like the TMC and the BSP have reconciled to the inevitable. Thus, the clock seems to have turned full circle on Ayodhya and Ram Janmbhoomi with the advent of Modi and Yogi. All parties who are now in opposition but were opposing the construction of the Ram temple all these years are now clamouring for their share under Ayodhya’s sun.

The abrogation of Article 370 met with the same opposition even though it was ratified by an act of parliament of the largest democracy in the world. The now historic date of August 5 saw the revocation of the dubious Article 370 one year back resulting in the full integration of the then State of Jammu & Kashmir into the Indian union.

However, a two thirds passage in both houses did not deter the opposition from indulging in fear mongering and proclaiming its detrimental value for Bharat. One year down the line, the collective opposition seems to have run out of steam and settled for the new status quo prevalent in the union territory of J&K and Ladakh.

Shashi Tharoor and Manish Tiwari of the Congress & Akhilesh Yadav of the SP were cantankerous and rancorous in opposing the revocation even as most opposition parties like the BSP, BJD, TDP, YSRCP supported the government and Mamta’s TMC staged a walkout.

On the Ram temple Shashi Tharoor had said that no devout Hindu would want a temple constructed on someone else’s place of worship while on the abrogation of Article 370, he was equally acerbic terming it as an assault on the constitution. While former I&B Minister Manish Tiwari has extended his greetings to fellow citizens and devotees veteran Digvijay Singh has termed the timing of the Pujan as inauspicious highlighting the divergent views in the party.

Manish Tiwari in his recent article in The Deccan Chronicle had ridiculed the abrogation of Article 370 and castigated the government for the number of arrests made and leaders being put under house arrest albeit in five star conditions. Perhaps, he has forgotten the emergency and the squalid conditions prevailing in Tihar jail where 4000 odd arrested people including the likes of Arun Jaitley and noted writer & journalist Kuldeep Nayar were packed like sardines and lodged in inhuman and wretched conditions.

However, the mention of Ayodhya cannot be complete without the names of nonagenarian L K Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi and the late Ashok Singhal who were undoubtedly the architects of the Ram temple movement. L K Advani got resounding support during the Rath Yatra which paved the way for the historic bhoomi pujan by his protege for building of the Ram temple at Ayodhya. His place and that of Dr Joshi should have been on the dais next to the PM as that’s what Ram Lalla would have wanted.

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