Hyderabad: While today marked the momentous day of the Ram temple foundation laying - a topic that's been simmering India since years, one cannot help but notice the absence of Lal Krishna Advani from the whole pomp and show.
Let alone being missing from the ceremony, L.K. Advani is even missing from the posters of the event.
L.K.Advani who is credited for politicising the Babri masjid issue and bringing in temple politics in vogue in the country in the 90s now seems to be sidelined by his own right-wing party.
The nonagenarian BJP veteran is time and again remembered by people as the man who steered the Ram temple revolution along with Vinay Katiyar, Uma Bharti, Murli Manohar Joshi, and Kalyan Singh.
It was he who first started the controversial rath yatra and paraded through Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, donning saffron and often holding trident, sword, bow and arrow, all symbolising strong Hindutva views and charging the following crowd with anti-muslim sentiments.
His speeches sowed the seeds of hatred against Muslims and Babri Masjid that later boiled down the worst communal violence that the nation witnessed.
Just ahead of 1991 Lok Sabha elections, his speeches reeked more of anti-muslim views and staunch Hinduism.
“Saugandh Ram ki Khat-e hain, Hum Mandir Wahin Banayegein (We take a vow in the name of Rama: we will build the temple exactly there),” the famous catchphrase associated with the whole movement was coined by Advani himself.
However, all these BJP leaders were indicted by the Crime Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for conspiration that lead to Babri demolition. The trial of the case is still going on.
Taking into account, all that the leader did for the whole Ram temple movement, it now seems like the present lot of BJP is enjoying what the veterans sowed especially the Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
But, putting to rest the speculation that BJP is now ignoring the stalwarts who paved the way to today's momentous day, Champat Rai, VHP member said that keeping the ages of these leaders in mind and to keep the guest list short, the veterans have not been invited.
Also read: Faces behind Ram Janambhoomi Movement
