Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday asked “loudmouth” leaders to “close their eyes” and have “shraddha (reverence)” in the judicial system, broaching the proposed Ram temple at a time the Supreme Court is hearing the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid land dispute on a priority basis.

“I want to plead to these loudmouth leaders with folded hands that for God’s sake, for Lord Ram’s sake, close your eyes and have reverence in the judicial system of the country,” Modi told a rally at Nashik in poll-bound Maharashtra.

The Prime Minister accused these “loudmouths” of making “anap sanap (rubbish)” comments on the Ram temple issue while the matter was being heard by the Supreme Court. He said he was surprised to hear the comments of such leaders over the past two-three weeks and urged them to have faith in the Supreme Court.

“When the matter is in the Supreme Court, when the Supreme Court is taking out time, I am surprised these loudmouths are giving out statements trying to put up impediments. We should have faith in the Supreme Court. We should have faith in Babasaheb Ambedkar’s Constitution,” Modi said.

Although Modi didn’t name the “loudmouth” leaders he was referring to, Uddhav Thackeray, the chief of the BJP’s restive ally Shiv Sena, had on Wednesday urged the government to bypass the legal process and issue an executive order to pave the way for the construction of a Ram temple.

“The way the government is working, our hopes have increased as to the construction of a Ram temple in Ayodhya. Now, there is no point in waiting anymore,” Uddhav had said on Wednesday, citing the example of the government’s one-stroke decision to end the special status of Jammu and Kashmir.

The Supreme Court is holding daily hearings on the title suit on the 60-year-old temple-mosque dispute in Ayodhya and has set an October 18 deadline for the completion of the process.

If the judgment is not delivered before Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi, who is heading the five-judge constitution bench hearing the case, retires on November 17, the entire process will have to be started afresh.

The court has also left open the possibility of mediation, though the parties involved have nixed the idea.

BJP circles have perceived the developments to be in their favour. A minister in the Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh recently said a Ram temple would be constructed in Ayodhya “because the Supreme Court is ours”.

The Supreme Court has condemned the remarks.