Ram temple not a communal issue: Gadkari
TNN Bureau. Updated: 12/18/2018 7:48:58 PM
National
New Delhi, Dec 18(UNI) Asserting that Ram temple is not a communal issue, Union Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari on Tuesday asked if Ram temple is not built at Lord Ram's birth place then where else will it be built.
"It [Ram temple] is not a communal issue. Lord Ram is the symbol of our history and culture. If a temple is not constructed at his birthplace, where else will it be built? Crores of Hindus believe in him [Ram] and it is an emotional issue," the Union Minister said at the Agenda Aaj Tak.
Talking of the Lok Sabha elections, the Minister said political parties should ask for votes on the agenda of development.
'Progressive and democratic political parties in the country should not ask votes in the name of caste, religion, sect or language. However, the issue of Ram temple is different as it is not a communal issue,' said the Minister.
The Minister said, "In my opinion, parties should ask for votes on the basis of the development works they have done or propose to do. Young voters don't vote on issues of caste, religion, community and language. They evaluate a government on the basis of its performance. But unfortunately there are some who want these issues to persist."
Slamming the media, he said it needs to understand its responsibilities.
"Media have the right to report but they also should know what the national interest is," he said.
Talking about the transportation sector, the Minister said, "What was not done in the past 50 years, has been done in the past four-and-a-half-years in the Modi government. The inland waterways have been a success. Goods are now being ferried from Kolkata to Patna using the Ganga."