Article 370 Scrapped, Ayodhya Saints Hopeful of Decision on Ram Temple as Well: Report

VHP spokesperson Sharad Sharma told the daily that they had always demanded the scrapping of Article 370.

Ayodhya: Welcoming the Centre’s decision to scrap Article 370 on Monday, the Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad also demanded similar steps for construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya.

Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas head Mahant Nritya Gopal Das called the decision a historic day in the country’s history. A daily quoted him as saying, “We have always demanded scrapping of Article 370 to ensure Jammu-Kashmir’s proper integration with the rest of the country.”

Head priest of the makeshift Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, Acharya Satyendra Das, has also welcomed the Centre’s decision. “It is the right step. This should have happened long back. Article 370 was like a cover for terrorist that helped them prosper in the Kashmir valley,” he said.

Ayodhya Sant Samaj head Manant Kanhaiya Das said, “This decision should have been taken long back. But no government had the courage to take such a bold step. This step will also help the Government to check terrorist activities in the Kashmir Valley.”

VHP spokesperson Sharad Sharma told the daily that they had always demanded the scrapping of Article 370.

Triloki Nath Pandey, who is representing Ram Lala in the Supreme Court, said, “I am very happy. Now, the Government must also pave the way for construction of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya.”

At their two-day Kendriya Margdarshak Mandal meet in Haridwar on June 19-20, the VHP had reiterated its demand for scrapping of Article 370.

Now the state of J&K has been bifurcated into two Union Territories i.e; Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. After Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced the revoking of Article 370 in Rajya Sabha, a Constitution (application to Jammu and Kashmir) Order 2019 from the President of India was published in the Gazette of India.

While J&K became a union territory (UT) with Legislature, Ladakh became a UT without Legislature.