The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) is confident it can garner wider support for a Bill that would facilitate the construction of a Ram Temple in Ayodhya, international joint general secretary Surendra Jain said on Monday.
The VHP, which is trying to raise the pitch for a legislative solution even as the case is before the Supreme Court, is set to make an effort to drum up support with a rally in Delhi on December 9.
‘Çhange of heart’
Asked by reporters about BJP president Amit Shah’s recent statement that while the party was for the construction of the temple as a priority there would be no ordinance or Bill for it as the Supreme Court was hearing the matter, Mr. Jain asserted that the rally would “lead to a change of heart”.
“All I want to say in response is that all those who feel that an ordinance is not feasible will have a change of heart after December 9th ,” Mr. Jain said. The VHP had already gotten in touch with MPs across the country including those in the opposition for support for the Bill, and “none of them are Ram - virodhis [opponents of Ram],” he added.
“We will also seek time with Congress president Rahul Gandhi, after the campaigning for the current round of Assembly polls is done. He is not an enemy, why should we not reach out to him?”
The rally on December 9, to be held at Delhi’s Ram Leela Maidan would be addressed by RSS sah karyavah, the de facto second-in-command in the organisation, Suresh “bhaiyyaji” Joshi. “Other speakers will include Sadhvi Ritambhara, Swami Avadeshananda, and Swami Hansadevacharya among others,” Mr. Jain said.
The VHP official also played down the tepid response to a bike rally by the Swadeshi Jagran Manch in favour of the Bill in Delhi — hardly about 100 bikers reportedly participated — by remarking that it had been a part of an “awareness programme”, adding that the rally on December 9 would be a bigger affair. “We have made arrangements for 3 lakh lunch packets to be prepared for distribution, that is the crowd strength we are expecting,” Mr. Jain said.