Patience of Hindus should not be tested: Union Minister Giriraj Singh

Union minister and BJP leader Giriraj Singh feels the patience of Hindus should not be tested and said those opposed to the construction of the Ram Temple by citing intolerance against minorities should go to Pakistan and check the kind of democracy they have.

Singh claimed that the Ram Mandir issue would have been resolved long back had Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel been the first prime minister of the country as Jawaharlal Nehru "deliberately" kept the issue alive in order to serve vote bank politics.

The minister known for his pro-Hindu chants, said construction of Ram temple is not a political issue for the BJP but a "agenda of all Hindus living in the country".

Hitting at "pseudo seculars" for their protest against the BJP-led government at the Centre, Singh said those shouting about intolerance in the country are actually a "Gang of Intolerance" who are trying to malign the country.

"It is just because we are tolerant, other communities take advantage of it. How can in a country like India, where Hindus are a majority, being stopped from praying to our gods. What right other communities have to stop us from praying to our gods? Too much of anything is bad as this might break patience of Hindus. No one should test the patience of Hindus," Singh told PTI in an interview.

He, however, sounded confident that construction of Ram Temple would be become a reality in days to come and maintained that any decision on Ram Mandir would be taken after the court's verdict on it.

Facing growing pressure to move swiftly on the Ram Mandir issue, the Modi government Tuesday asked the Supreme Court to allow it to return the "non-disputed" surplus land acquired around the disputed structure in Ayodhya to a Hindu trust and other original owners.

"After the court gives its final verdict then only the question of bringing in ordinance can come in. Not before that," he said reiterating the prime minister's assertions.

When asked about opposition to the construction to the Ram temple, Singh, who is Union Minister of State for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, said those who raise slogans against India are opposing the construction.

"India is a democracy anybody can oppose it. Those who pursue pseudo secularism are opposing it, those who give slogans against India in JNU are opposing it...some people are talking of intolerance, they should thank their luck that India is a Hindu majority state. Let them go to Pakistan and see what kind of democracy they have," he said.

Citing "demolition" of temples in Bangladesh where population of Hindus is coming down, Singh said no one speaks a single word against it and there is need to "save the Hindutva of country in order to save democracy".

"Had Sardar Patel been announced as the first prime minister of the country there would not have been any controversy over this issue (Ram Mandir). Jawaharlal Nehru deliberately kept the issue alive in order to serve vote bank politics," he charged.

"Our ancestors did a mistake during partition. Each and every Hindu should have been brought back to India and each and every Muslim should have been sent back to Pakistan," the BJP Lok Sabha member from Nawada in Bihar, said.

When asked about the debate on intolerance towards minorities, especially Muslims, Singh said Hindus have secularism in their DNA.

"Those who have returned awards, shouted slogans and taken out candle light vigil are actually an intolerance gang who wants to destroy our country. They want to malign the nation. In the DNA of India and Hindus there is secularism," he said.

Singh also called for stringent policies to control the population of the country which would enable the government to snatch away the voting rights of people who go for more than two children.

"What is the reason that where there is 99 percent Hindu population you will find social balance? What is the reason that where Muslims become majority the social balance breaks down, people starts living in fear," he said.

"There should be strong laws for everybody to control population for both Hindus and Muslims. The laws should be so strong that if somebody does not oblige, he will lose voting rights and can't avail government schemes. The second thing is intended to raise awareness on this issue and not act on the basis of vote bank politics," he said.

While speaking about the opposition unity, Singh said this unity is out of fear of Narendra Modi and he is "super confident" that BJP will return to power with a bigger majority.

"Voters go for the credibility of political parties. What Modi government has done in 4.5 years the Congress couldn't do in so 10 years (UPA regime).... This unity is not due to policies but out of fear of Narendra Modi. There is no one to compete against Modi. If they have guts why does not the opposition announce their PM candidate," he said.

-PTI