Ram Mandir a Matter of Faith, Ready to go to Jail for it: Uma Bharti

Lucknow: Union Water Resources Minister Uma Bharti on Saturday said Ram temple in Ayodhya was a matter of belief for her and she was ready to go to jail for it.

"Ram temple is a matter of belief for me and I have immense pride in it...if I have to go to jail for it I will go, if I have to hang myself for it I will do it," the firebrand BJP leader, who was part of Ram temple movement, told newspersons after meeting Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

Asked if the issue of Ram temple construction in Ayodhya figured in the talks with Adityanath, she said, "We don't need to talk about Ram temple...we (Uma and Yogi) are not strangers on this issue... Yogiji's guru Mahant Avaidnath was the leader of the temple movement."

The Union minister said that since the matter is pending in the Supreme Court she would refrain from speaking much on it but pointed out that the apex court has noted that the matter could be resolved outside the court.

The Supreme Court had recently reserved its order on a petition seeking restoration of conspiracy charges against Bharti and other senior BJP leaders, including L K Advani and MM Joshi, in the Babri Masjid demolition case.