Premium
This is an archive article published on June 4, 2017

Vishwa Hindu Parishad: ‘No new mosque in Ayodhya’

When contacted, VHP joint general secretary Surendra Jain said enough mosques already existed in Ayodhya. “VHP will oppose if any new mosque is be built there,” he added.

THE VISHWA Hindu Parishad (VHP) has decided that it will not allow any new mosques to be built in Ayodhya.

The VHP’s topmost body, Margdarshak Mandal, in a resolution adopted on Friday in Haridwar also rejected the suggestion to settle the Ram temple issue outside the court and demanded that the Centre should take initiative in this regard.

“Mandir wahin… Ayodhya mein koi nai masjid nahin… Babar ke naam par Bharat mein kuch bhi nahin (Temple at the same site… no new mosque in Ayodhya… nothing in the name of Babar in India anymore),” the resolution stated.

Story continues below this ad

When contacted, VHP joint general secretary Surendra Jain said enough mosques already existed in Ayodhya. “VHP will oppose if any new mosque is be built there,” he added.

“In support of the resolution in the meeting, the sants argued ‘will any Hanuman temple be allowed in Vatican City or Mecca’. Ayodhya holds relevance to non-Hindus as well and only temple should be allowed there,” said Jain.

“The idea of settling the Ram Mandir issue out of the court amicably was rejected because Muslims had every time stepped away from talks in the past. It was resolved in the meet that Ram temple could be built only by enacting a law through the Parliament and the Centre must initiate the process. The sants had supported BJP in the hope that a Ram temple would be built and the government should work for it,” he added.

These resolutions will be discussed in Ayodhya on June 7, when birthday celebrations of Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas president Nritya Gopal Das —an accused in the Babri Masjid demolition case — is set to conclude. A ‘Sant Sammelan’ will be oraganised the same day.

Story continues below this ad

VHP spokesperson in Awadh prant, Sharad Sharma, said the event will be attended by UP Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya and Cabinet Minister Mukut Bihari Verma, MP Minister Kunwar Jaibhan Singh Pawaiya and Rajya Sabha member Subramanian Swamy. Others attending the event include VHP working president Pravin Togadia and general secretary Champat Rai.

On Wednesday, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had visited Ayodhya, where he had attended the first day of the birthday celebrations. Sharma said that Union Minister Kalraj Mishra will attend the celebrations on June 5 and 6. “Earlier as well, the birthday of Nritya Gopal Das had been celebrated in the same manner… Yogi Adityanath and other senior leaders and sants have been visiting,” said Umesh Pandey, VHP’s co-secretary of Awadh region.

Lalmani is an Assistant Editor with The Indian Express, and is based in New Delhi. He covers politics of the Hindi Heartland, tracking BJP, Samajwadi Party, BSP, RLD and other parties based in UP, Bihar and Uttarakhand. Covered the Lok Sabha elections of 2014, 2019 and 2024; Assembly polls of 2012, 2017 and 2022 in UP along with government affairs in UP and Uttarakhand. ... Read More

Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram

Latest Comment
Post Comment
Read Comments
Advertisement

You May Like

Advertisement