VHP to intensify Mandir agitation, to meet all MPs

NEW DELHI: The Vishva Hindu Parishad plans to intensify its campaign for building a Ram temple at the disputed site in Ayodhya from Thursday, even though the Supreme Court will decide on the hearing date of the case only in January.

VHP members will approach all MPs belonging to different political parties to garner support for building a temple. The organisation will follow this with an ‘adhyatmik prachar’ (spiritual propaganda) in December, where members will hold meetings in select places around the country. Seers will explain to the public the ‘need for a temple’ in Ayodhya.

On January 31, a religious parliament of over 500 Hindu seers in Prayaag will take a final call on how to go about on building a temple, if the government does not make any legislation, VHP leaders told ET. After SC’s decision on Monday, VHP reiterated its demand for a law to facilitate the construction of a Ram temple in Ayodhya. The organisation insisted that government should consider introducing a legislation in Parliament in the forthcoming winter session to build a temple.

“We plan to go to every MP of every political party and tell them about how the Ram temple is something their electorate wants. Considering the political climate in the country now, there is unlikely to be any party that will disagree. We also leave it to the government’s wisdom to see how they can bring in a law in this winter session, for the temple in Ayodhya,” VHP working president Alok Kumar said.

“We reiterate our request to the Union government to enact a law to clear the way for building a grand temple of Lord Ram at his birthplace,”Kumar said. VHP leaders also made it clear that there will be no division of land with the Waqf board.

“Hindu seers who had a meeting earlier this month had a sense of this delay, hence they have urged the government to take the matter into its hands. Apart from that, we will reach out to every Hindu here and request him to join us in our campaign,” VHP spokesman Vinod Bansal told ET.