The Vishwa Hindu Parishad has decided to launch a nationwide movement to pressurise the government to bring in a law to build a Ram temple in Ayodhya.
A high-powered committee of the saints in the organisation met in New Delhi on Friday to chalk out a strategy for building the temple. The meeting was held under the chairmanship of Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas president Nritya Gopal Das. Over 50 saints from all over the country attended the meeting.
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A four-point programme was chalked out at the meeting. As the first step, Hindu saints will submit memorandums to the state governors and, secondly, they will hold rallies in different Lok Sabha constituencies to pressurise MPs in bringing a law to build the temple. In the third step, a 10-day programme will be launched in temples across the country to galvanise the people. And finally, they will meet Prime Minister Narenda Modi with a demand to build the temple.
"It was decided to build a nationwide awareness as Hindu saints decided to submit a memorandum to the governors and even gherao the elected MPs asking them to raise the issue in parliament. Those who are against the temple should also say so," said Saint Hansdev Acharya, president of the committee.
The decision to launch a campaign came days after the Supreme Court's order on mosques not being central to Islam. VHP working president Alok Kumar said though the VHP was waiting for a court judgment, it is taking a lot more time. “So we are asking for bringing in a law to build the temple,” he said.
Kumar said though the case was in the court, it was within their right to ask for a legislation.
It is a demand of all the saints that the temple be built at the earliest and for that this government should bring in a law in the parliament, the VHP said. It said the issue will be taken up again on January 31 when the VHP will organise a Dharma Sansad (religious parliament) during the Kumbh in Allahabad.
Kumar said the BJP should think about building the temple as it was one of their promises. They can do this within the remaining term of the present government, he said, while hoping that all hindrances in building the temple will be removed before the end of 2018.
In a strongly-worded statement, the VHP said the prime minister should call a joint session of parliament to bring in a law. It added that those who are opposed to the building of the temple will be "uprooted." Whether they are opposed to the temple or fake Ram bhakts will be clear only after a bill is brought in the house, it said.
