Former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda has accused the BJP of making noise over temples fearing a defeat in the Lok Sabha elections. “They are playing politics over Ayodhya in the north and Sabarimala in the south,” he said at a press conference on Saturday.

He said BJP leaders should have kept silent on the Ayodhya issue as the Supreme Court will be taking up the issue in January. “Many pontiffs have raised a voice in favor of the temple.

They are all speaking about the Ram Temple because the notification for the next election is expected to be issued by the first week of April,” he said. “Had the Modi government delivered on all its promises in the past four and a half years, there would be no need for the party to raise the temple issues. Now they want to polarise the public on the basis of Ram Temple and Sabarimala.”