New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party leadership has gone aggressive on the issue of Ram Temple when Uttar Pradesh deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya reiterated that a verdict on the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid land dispute may be a prerogative of the Supreme Court but a grand temple for Lord Ram will be built.

It will now be impossible to install a single stone bearing the name of Mughal emperor Babur, the BJP leader said, days after the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) declared it will not hesitate to launch an agitation for Ram temple at Ayodhya if needed.

“I have clearly said time and again on the issue of construction of a temple in Ayodhya that whenever there is a verdict on Ayodhya, it is the prerogative of the Supreme Court. But a grand temple for Ram Lalla will be built,” Maurya said.

“Now, it is simply impossible to install even a single stone bearing the name of Babur there,” he added. The 16th century Babri Masjid was demolished in December 1992 by rightwing Hindus who believe it was built on the birthplace of Lord Ram.

Stating that neither the petitioner nor the government can do anything in a matter pending before the court, Maurya said the installation of a grand statue of Lord Ram in Ayodhya should not be linked to construction of a Ram temple.

He was referring to Ayodhya Mayor Rishikesh Upadhyay statement last week that there is a proposal to install a 151-metre-tall statue of Lord Ram on the banks of the Saryu river in the town. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is likely to make an announcement on this on the occasion of “Dev Deepawali”, the mayor said.

In Maurya’s view, the matter should be seen as one linked to the development of Ayodhya. He said building Lord Ram’s statue and the Ram Temple movement are two different issues.