The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP)’s empowered committee of sants and seers, the Sant Uchhadhikaar Samiti (SUS), on Friday passed a resolution demanding a law that would enable the construction of a Ram temple in Ayodhya, even as the Supreme Court has set October 29 as the next date of hearing in the case.
At a meeting at the VHP’s New Delhi headquarters, 50 out of the 70 members invited to the meet passed a four-point resolution calling for a new law and building pressure on Parliament for the same, in what the organisation’s working president, Alok Kumar, termed a “final push” for the construction of a Ram temple in Ayodhya.
A delegation of a few members of the SUS also called on President Ram Nath Kovind with a copy of its resolution and asked that the same be forwarded to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Appeal to President
Swami Hansdevji, a member of the delegation, later said at a press conference that the President had assured that the letter would be forwarded. Rashtrapati Bhavan sources said it was the norm to forward such representations to authorities concerned for independent judgment.
Inside the meeting, according to a statement released by the VHP, some seers, including Swami Vasudevanand, also demanded a joint session of Parliament if need be. There were calls made to “remind Prime Minister Modi” of his “promise” of the construction of a Ram temple in Ayodhya. “By bringing such a Bill to Parliament it will be made clear who is a true devotee of Ram [Ram Bhakt] or not,” Swami Parmananda was quoted in the release as having said in the meeting.
Nationwide protests
Plans for a nationwide agitation, of meeting Governors of respective States and local MPs to press for such a Bill, were also discussed and cleared at the meeting.
“When the documentation and other papers required for consideration of matter were completed before the Supreme Court Bench headed by former Chief Justice of India, Dipak Misra, we thought that a judgment would be forthcoming on the issue by September end this year, and the VHP had passed a resolution in an earlier meeting that we would wait for the court’s judgment. But, in the meanwhile, various obstacles were put in the way, like moving an impeachment motion against Justice Mishra and opening the Ismail Farooqui verdict. We are convinced that the case will not see a resolution any time soon, hence we have announced this programme,” said Mr. Kumar briefing the press after the meet.
Mr. Kumar also pointed to changes made in the Representation of the People Act by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi government after an adverse judgment at the Allahabad High Court in 1975, and while an appeal in the case was being heard in the Supreme Court to justify the stir for the Ram temple while the case was being heard.
Mr. Kumar said that if a law wasn’t passed in the winter session of Parliament, considered the last working session of the current government this term, then a Dharam Sansad of seers to be held during the Allahabad Kumbh on January 31 would decide future action. He said the BJP, which had supported the Ram Janmabhoomi movement as per its Palampur resolution in 1989, should support the move, but that questions on whether it would, should be put to party leaders.
Incidentally, former international president of the VHP, Pravin Togadia, has already announced an “Ayodhya Chalo” march, starting from Lucknow on October 21.
