New Delhi
A day after he said there could be no Hindu rashtra without Muslims, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat on Wednesday pushed for the saffron group’s poll agenda Ram temple at Ayodhya.

Replying to the audience’s queries on the last day of the Sangh conclave ‘Bhavishya Ka Bharat An RSS Perspective’, Bhagwat touched upon issues such as cow vigilantism, religious conversion, Article 377, Uniform Civil Code and the state of economy.

He said the Ram temple should be constructed as soon as possible. “It should be made where it should be. This will put an end to the very basis of differences between Hindus and Muslims. It is the question of faith for crores of Hindus. It should have happened by now,” Bhagwat said.

Supporting a dialogue on the issue, he said the final decision rested with the Ram Mandir Samiti, spearheading the campaign for construction. He said he did not know whether an ordinance could be promulgated since he was not part of the government. Bhagwat, who re-asserted the Sangh’s apolitical nature, said the only time the BJP benefitted from its association was during the Ram temple movement. “We have never supported any party, only its policies. Whoever managed to take the benefit of our support did and others were left out,” he said.

Bhagat said issues such as “shamshan” and “kabristan” were raised only for the sake of power. During a rally in UP, PM Narendra Modi had once said: “If there is electricity in ‘kabristan’ and during Ramzan, it must also be available in a ‘shamshan’ and during Diwali.” Though he drew flak, the statement is believed to have been one of the clinchers for the BJP in those polls.

Meanwhile, Bhagwat pitched for protection of cows but disapproved of going against law in the name of such vigilantism. “We have to reject the double-speak as there is no talk of violence by cow smugglers… Cow is a matter of devotion and should be protected. There are many Muslims who run cowsheds. They should be appreciated,” he said.