VHP to mobilise support from MPs for Ram Mandir

Relaunching the temple card, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) today said it is planning to mobilise support from all MPs for the construction of Ram Mandir at Ayodhya and hopes to complete the process of consultations till December.

'We will hold consultation with all party MPs, the first of it scheduled on July 28, in Delhi when MPs gather there for Monsoon Session of Parliament,' VHP leader Pravin Togadia, said here today.

He said VHP will meet all MPs to convince them on the issue.

'The ball is in Government court and Parliament should enact a law to build the temple in Ayodhya,' he told PTI while returning from Amravati after attending the RSS 'Chintan Baithak' there.

He said the Government has given an affidavit in the court that if remains of Ram Mandir are found during excavation by the Archaeological Survey, the Government will hand over the land to Hindus and if not it will be given back to Muslims where Babri Masjid existed before it was demolished in December 1992.

Togadia, replying to a query on former Gujarat Minister Amit Shah's comments in Ayodhya that Ram Mandir will be build there, said, 'Shah only uttered which was expected from a staunch Hindu leader when he (anyone) reaches Ayodhya temple site.'

While refusing to take direct questions on deliberations during RSS conclave in Amravati, Togadia said, whoever (even Mulayam Singh Yadav and Gandhis) support Hindutva, and protect interests of crores of Hindus, saves cow from slaughter and provides employment opportunities to vast Hindu population, the VHP will support them during general elections.

'We are interested in 100 crore Hindus and not about measures for remaining 21 crore including Christians and Muslims and others,' he said.

Speaking further on the temple issue, Togadia said we want sincere efforts and not 'tokenism'.

'Only concrete efforts are needed from leadership,' he said without naming any individual or party involved.

VHP agenda is very clear... Ram Mandir, ban on cow slaughter, common civil code, Article 370 removal, employment and business opportunities to Hindus and protection of rights and interests of Hindus, he said.

Hindus have been neglected and persecuted for so many years, he claimed.