'Ram Temple Will be Built Because SC is Ours': Yogi's Minister Mukut Verma Stokes Controversy

Lucknow: A minister in Yogi Adityanath's government has stoked a controversy with his bizarre connection between Ram Temple and Supreme Court. UP cooperative minister Mukut Bihari Verma said that the mandir would be built in Ayodhya because 'Supreme Court humara hai'.

According to a report in The Times of India, Verma made the controversial remark while responding to a question on BJP's longstanding promise of building the Ram temple in Ayodhya.

"BJP mandir ke mudde pe aayi hai. BJP vikas ke mudde pe aayi hai. Lekin mandir humara aaradhya hai, mandir banega. Mandir banane ke liye hum log krit sankalp hain.” (BJP came to power on the issue of temple. BJP came to power on the issue of development. The temple is still our revered goal, and the temple will be made. We are deeply committed to building the temple)," the minister was quoted as saying by TOI.

When the journalists asked him how would BJP build the temple when the matter was sub-judice in the apex court, Verma said, "Supreme Court mein hai tabhi toh. Supreme Court bhi humara hai na. Supreme Court humara hai, karya palika bhi humari hai, vidhan palika bhi humari hai, desh bhi humara hai, mandir bhi humara hai." (The matter is in SC, that’s why. The SC is also ours. The SC is ours, the executive is ours, the legislature is ours, the country is ours and the temple is ours)."

UP's labour minister Swami Prasad Maurya, who was sitting by Mukut Bihari Verma's side in Bahraich, refused to comment on the controversy, reported Hindustan Times. When an HT reporter called up Verma, he said that he was quoted out of context. But in his bid to explain, the minister again ended up repeating the same statement.

“I merely meant that the Supreme Court too is part of this country and belongs to us and that we are sure the temple will come up in Ayodhya,” he explained. “Humne kya galat kaha ki Supreme Court bhi hamara hai ... arrey bhai hamara toh sabhi kuchh hai ... jab yeh desh hamara hai toh sabhi kuchh hamara hi hai na (What wrong did I say? If the country is ours, then so is the SC and everything else),” he said.

The minister's statement comes days after Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said that the construction of Ram temple is in Lord Rama's hand.