“The forthcoming Lok Sabha will be bereft of the Ram temple movement heroes, probably for the first time in the last three decades,” Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader Sharad Sharma said. Former HRD minister Joshi, who was closely associated with the Ram temple movement, has also been dropped this time. Barjrang Dal founder-president Vinay Katiyar, also a BJP leader, has been denied ticket. Katiyar has always been very vocal about Ram temple construction in Ayodhya and played a key role in kar seva in the 1990s. Congress leader Ajay Kumar claimed the BJP is not serious about the Ram temple issue.

Source: Hindustan Times April 02, 2019 01:41 UTC