Iqbal Ansari welcomes BJP's commitment of resolving issues within constitution

With BJP reiterating its promise of constructing Ram Temple in Ayodhya in its manifesto released on Monday, Iqbal Ansari, the litigant in the Ram Janm Bhoomi-Babri Masjid case said that he "respects the government commitment of resolving the issue of Mandir and Masjid within the limits of Constitution". "The government is of BJP and we respect that its commitment to resolve the Mandir-Masjid issue within the limits of the Constitution. Whatever work will be done within the limits of the Constitution will harm neither Hindu nor Muslims," said Iqbal Ansari.

"Although the matter is in the Supreme Court, it is entangled in politics, and Hindus and Muslims are both doing politics on the issue. We want that a solution within the legal and constitutional limits should be found," said Ansari. The BJP asserted that it will explore all possibilities within the framework of the Constitution to facilitate the expeditious construction of the Ram Temple.

"We reiterate our stand on Ram Mandir. We will explore all possibilities within the framework of the Constitution and all necessary efforts to facilitate the expeditious construction of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya," the party manifesto read. The Supreme Court is hearing appeals against the September 30, 2010 verdict of the Allahabad High Court which ordered a three-way division of the disputed 2.77 acres of the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid site in Ayodhya between the Nirmohi Akhara sect, the Sunni Central Wakf Board, Uttar Pradesh and Ramlalla Virajman.

The construction of the Ram Mandir at Ayodhya has been a long-standing promise by the BJP. The pledge was also included in the 2014 elections manifesto.

(With inputs from agencies.)