Ram Mandir Seminar: BJP should not use varsities to spread communalism, says AAP

New Delhi, Jan 9: Attacking the BJP over a seminar in Delhi University by party leader Subramanium Swamy on the Ram temple issue, the Aam Aadmi Party today said the saffron party should not use varsities to spread communalism and alleged that the move was aimed at the 2017 Assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh.

Terming it a "sensitive issue", senior AAP leader Ashutosh said that the case is pending before the Supreme Court and the decision on it should be by the judiciary and not outside.

The two-day seminar titled 'Shri Ram Janma Bhoomi Temple: Emerging Scenario' is being organised at DU's Arts Faculty by Arundhati Vashishtha Anusandhan Peeth (AVAP), a research organisation founded by late VHP leader Ashok Singhal.

Amid protests outside the Delhi University, senior BJP leader Subramanian Swamy today went ahead with the seminar on the construction of Ram Temple in Ayodhya where he asserted that nothing will be done forcibly or against the law.

"We are not opposed to the move of discussion on Ram Mandir in the DU as we believe that the universities should be a place for healthy discussions of various issues. Our problem is using the seminar for communalising the atmosphere," Ashutosh said. "There were riots in Muzaffarnagar before the Lok Sabha polls.

Then there were communal riots in Delhi before the state polls. Ahead of Bihar polls, Dadri (where rumours of beef consumption led to killing of man) was exploited. And before the Uttar Pradesh polls, you (BJP) have brought up Ram Mandir issue again," he said. "...We want politics over Roti Kapda aur Makan and not religion," Ashutosh said.

AAP's Delhi unit convenor Dilip Pandey also questioned the move of renting out the venue for the seminar as the varsity in the past had denied permission to the party to carry out party-related programmes in its premises. He said the CYSS, party's student wing, is also agitating against the seminar in the campus. He said that the BJP has not learnt from its mistakes and is "hell bent" on repeating them despite facing a drubbing in Delhi and Bihar.

PTI