'Mark Babri Masjid demolition anniversary as Defend the Constitution and Secularism Day'

A group of left parties on Saturday have called for observing 'Defend the Constitution and Secularism Day' on December 6- the day when the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya was demolished.

The Left parties, comprising Communist Party of India - Marxist (CPIM), Communist Party of India (CPI), All India Forward Bloc (AIFB), Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP), Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist)-Liberation and Socialist Unity Centre of India (Communist), have also called upon all its units to mobilise to observe December 6, also Dr. B. R. Ambedkar's death anniversary, as 'Defend the Constitution and Secularism Day. The parties have further directed all state units to work out programmes of holding joint demonstrations, dharnas, and meetings.

"December 6, this year, marks the 26th anniversary of the demolition of the Babri Masjid. In the current situation, it is essential to observe this day in defence of secularism and democracy. The RSS led outfits have begun a campaign to demand that the Central government pass a legislation/ordinance to facilitate the building of the Ram temple at the disputed site at Ayodhya, bypassing the Supreme Court," the statement read.

"This campaign is designed to subserve the communal agenda of the Sangh Brigade and nullify the provisions relating to secularism in the Indian Constitution. The Left parties are strongly opposed to this effort to subvert the judicial verdict on the Ayodhya dispute. The Sangh Brigade cannot be allowed to subvert the Constitutional provisions in the name of 'faith'," it further noted.

Meanwhile, a mass gathering is being organised in Ayodhya on Sunday to build pressure on the central government for the construction of Ram temple at the site of the razed Babri Masjid. The mega show will coincide with a two-day visit of Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray to Ayodhya.

The Ram Mandir got a major push when one of the litigants in the Babri Masjid case, Mohammad Iqbal Ansari, said that he would welcome the ordinance and obey the law.

On October 29, the Supreme Court had adjourned the Ram Janambhoomi-Babri Masjid title suit till January 2019 to fix the next hearing date in the matter, challenging the Allahabad High Court ruling of 2010.