Muslims should extend support to construction of Ram temple: Giriraj Singh

New Delhi: Union Minister Giriraj Singh on Wednesday said that Muslims should follow in the footsteps of Shia Waqf Board and support the construction of Ram temple on the disputed site.

"I believe our side is stronger. We will respect the court's decision but I would say that the way our Shia brothers have extended support to build the Ram temple, other Muslim brothers should also do so, and let go of their obstinacy because we both are descendants of Hindus," Singh said.

"If they remain adamant, it will harm the communal harmony. Do they want that?" he added.

BJP MP Vinay Katiyar concurred with Singh and said, "Whatever happens, Ram Mandir will be there and nothing else."

Commenting on the impending verdict, Katiyar said, "One party is going to get hurt. But leaving aside Hindus, nobody will be hurt, because those trying for unauthorized capture will not be able to do so and for this reason they will be hurt."

The Supreme Court has begun hearing the case.

On February 9, the top court was likely to start 'final hearings' on a bunch of 13 petitions over the 2.7 acre land dispute that is claimed by both Hindus and Muslims.

However, the date was postponed, as some documents and translations were not filed before the apex court.

The petitions before the judges relate to the 2010 verdict of the Allahabad High Court in the title suit that had been pending for nearly six decades.

The dispute before the court was whether the 2.7 acres of disputed land on which the Babri Masjid was constructed belonged to the Sunni Central Waqf Board or to the Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha, who claimed the land to be the birthplace of Hindu Lord Ram, and thus entitled for the construction of a Ram Temple.

Thousands of Hindu karsevaks had demolished the Babri mosque in Ayodhya on December 6, 1992.

Around 2,000 people were killed in the riots that followed.