Search the Internet           Tips

Agreement in Sangh Parivar on
temple construction: Singhal

Sandesh Prabhudesai in Panaji

"The entire Sangh Parivar is united on the issue of construction of Ram temple and it would abide by the directives of the Dharm Sansad in this regard," said Vishwa Hindu Parishad working president Ashok Singhal on Tuesday in Panaji.

Singhal is in town to attend a two-day meeting of the VHP's Kendriya Margadarshak Mandal (central advisory committee) beginning Wednesday.

The two-day meet will draft a proposal, which will include the proposed date of commencement of construction work at the disputed site in Ayodhya. The proposal will be tabled before the Dharm Sansad at Prayag in January.

"The VHP is always guided by the Dharm Sansad," said Singhal.

While declining to provide any clues regarding the proposed date for the temple construction, Singhal said: "Have patience...in two days you would know."

Though he referred to the VHP, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and even the Dharm Sansad as members of the Sangh Parivar, Singhal preferred maintaining silence over the Bharatiya Janata Party status in the family.

"No political party should interfere in this issue (Ram temple) since it is not a political movement," he said.

He said there was no question of seeking Centre's clearance for temple construction, since matters of religion were beyond the purview of any government.

Recalling the age-old tradition of rishis and sants guiding the ruling class, Singhal said a similar arrangement would do lot of good to modern India.

Though he expressed deep concern over the Baptist Church in the north-east threatening sovereignty of the country by supporting militant liberation movements, he did not agree that the temple construction would threaten the secular fabric of India.

"Who knows what is secularism? It is neither defined by the Constitution nor by the government. You first define it and then we will talk about it," said Giriraj Kishor, another VHP leader.

Back to top

Tell us what you think of this report