Attacking Mr Modi, the Union minister said that the Gujrat chief minister in his greed to become the Prime Minister is now saying anything to fulfil his ambition.Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh also wondered whether the VHP, the RSS and the BJP would react the same way as they did when BSP founder Kanshi Ram had suggested a public toilet complex should be made at Ayodhya. However, Mr Ramesh, when told that none in the Congress had come to his defence when his toilet remark had triggered a controversy, said “Mujhe is baat ka afsos hai (I regret that none came forward)”.When asked if he agreed to Kansi Ram’s suggestion of building a grand toilet at Ayodhya in place of a temple, Mr Ramesh said he was only asking a question to Mr Modi if he agreed to it.
But this enlightenment should have come before Babri mosque demolition in 1992,” said Mr Ramesh.Recalling his similar statement on toilets, Mr Ramesh said when he had highlighted the issue, the volunteers of Sangh affiliates, VHP and Bajrang Dal, had held him hostage for an hour at his residence, while urinating at the gate and leaving behind urine bottles. “What those people have to say now, that Mr Modi has made the same statement, which is good,” said Mr Ramesh.After Gujrat chief minister Narendra Modi’s made his “toilet first, temple later” remark, Union rural development minister Jairam Ramesh said had this “wisdom” dawned on BJP’s prime ministerial candidate earlier, the Babri mosque would not have been demolished, 1993 Bombay serial blasts and post-Godhra riots would not have taken place. “I wish if Mr Modi had got this enlightenment 22 years ago, India would have been spared the Babri Masjid tragedy, communal riots in different parts of the country and Bombay blasts and indeed Godhra and what happened afterwards,” said Mr Ramesh.
Mr Ramesh also sought to know from Mr Modi if he agreed to the suggestion of the late BSP founder Kansi Ram that a grand toilet be built in Ayodhya to solve the Ram Janmabhoomi issue.Meanwhile, VHP leader Praveen Togadia expressed “shock” and said he was stunned at the statement of Mr Modi in which he talked about toilet and temple in the same breath. “Mr Modi’s wisdom that first toilet should be built is borne out of his blind desire for Prime Ministers post and it’s his conviction but compulsion that made him say so.While attacking Mr Modi, the Union minister also mentioned 1993 Bombay serial blast apparently as a reaction to the communal riots. Ridiculing Modi for his remark, the Congress on Thrursday linked it to the Ayodhya issue and asked the BJP and the RSS to clarify whether they support the statement of their chosen prime Small broom with dustpan ministerial candidate.But when reminded that he had remarked that people should break coconuts in front of toilets in place of temples, which are more filthy, Mr Ramesh clarified that his statement had a context, which was ignored by the media
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