Prime Minister Narendra Modi accused the Congress of delaying the Ayodhya verdict by asking the Supreme Court not to pronounce it till the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

At a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) rally on Sunday in poll-bound Rajasthan’s Alwar, the PM said that the Congress was dragging the judiciary into politics.

“Congress is dragging judiciary into politics. A Congress Rajya Sabha leader asked the Supreme Court to delay the Ayodhya hearing because of 2019 polls. When a judge wanted to pronounce a verdict in this serious matter, they try to use impeachment to threaten judiciary. But I urge the judiciary to keep on treading the path of justice without any fear,” he said.

The PM’s remarks came a day after Uddhav Thackeray, the chief of BJP’s estranged ally Shiv Sena, raised the tempo of the call from Ayodhya for a Ram temple on the disputed site.

Both the Shiv Sena and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) are organising separate Dharm Sabhas in Ayodhya today in a bid to force the government to introduce a law paving the way for the construction of the temple.

Continuing his attack on the Congress in Rajasthan, the PM also slammed the grand old party of communalism, playing caste-politics and failing to declare a CM face.

“People in foreign countries don’t see my caste. They see India and its people. But Congress is focussed on my caste. They abuse my mother. I am not surprised. Whosoever may be uttering those words, the one making them say it is the ‘naamdar’,” Modi said referring to Congress president Rahul Gandhi.

“When a Congress leader humiliated me over my caste, he was suspended from the party. But, after two months, he was cordially welcomed. Marginalised communities are just vote-bank for them. That’s what caste means to them. Everyone knows their conduct towards Dr BR Ambedkar. They did not even confer him Bharat Ratna,” he reportedly added.

Commenting on the absence of a CM face in the Congress, the PM said that it is a confused party.

“They are parading chief ministers in every lane and locality. They introduce one CM candidate here and another there,” he said.

In Congress, both former chief minister Ashok Gehlot and state party president Sachin Pilot are believed to be in the running for the CM’s post.

Praising Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje, the PM said that she did in five years what Congress did in 50 years.

Rajasthan goes to polls on 7 December. Counting of votes will be held on 11 December.