Prince Yakub Habeebuddin Tucy, a self-proclaimed descendant of the Mughals has offered a gold brick weighing one kilogram to Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying it could be used for the construction of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, reported ANI.

Habeebuddin Tucy was also in news last year when he demanded to be appointed the caretaker of the Babri Masjid that once stood over the Ramjanmabhoomi land in Ayodhya, now handed over by the Supreme Court to the government for construction of a Ram Temple after prolonged court battle over the ownership of the land between Hindu and Muslim parties.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to lay the foundation stone for the temple on August 5 at 12.15 pm, considered to be an auspicious occasion for starting the construction of the temple.

Tucy said it was a matter of happiness that an issue involving the faith and emotions of over 100 crore Hindus had been resolved in an amicable way.

“My hearty congratulations to my Hindu brothers of India and the 1 kg gold brick that I promised is ready. I have asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for time to handover this gold brick to him,” Tucy said in an interview to news agency ANI.

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A century-long dispute over the site was resolved last year following the BJP’s landslide election victory. In November, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the temple trust, saying that Muslim petitioners would be given five acres at an alternative site.

Symbolism of Tucy’s offer can be understood in the context of the popular belief that the Mughals had originally razed the temple to build a mosque over it in the ancient city of Ayodhya.

The Bhumi Pujan ceremony to be held on August 5 is planned to be celebrated with lighting of earthen lamps and decoration with flowers to recreate the Hindu festival of Diwali which marks the homecoming of Lord Rama after several years in exile. Several top leaders of the Central and state governments are also expected to attend the function in Ayodhya along with the proponents of the movement including LK Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi.

Yogi Adityanath, Uttar Pradesh’s chief minister had yesterday requested that temples in the city be cleaned and decorated before lighting of oil lamps in the evening. He also said the moment had arrived after 500-years of struggle.

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Earlier today, a member of the Ram Temple Trust formed to oversee its construction and management on the instructions of the apex court had said that members of all communities were free to donate for the cause of temple construction.

“We will accept donations from whoever has devotion towards and faith in Lord Ram,” Vishwaprasanna Teertha Swamy, head of Udupi-based Pejawar Mutt in Karnataka was quoted as saying by PTI.

He was asked if contributions would be accepted from all communities and not just Hindus.

The trust had earlier indicated that it will collect the money for temple construction through a nationwide campaign for donation and not ask for government funds.

The seer quoted above added that it was suggested in the last meeting of the trust that a sum of Rs ten per head and Rs 100 from each household be collected as part of the effort.

“It’s just a suggestion, it’s not like tax. It’s kind of a road-map for people who are desirous of participating in the construction of the Mandir,” the seer told PTI.