Togadia pitches for construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya

Bhopal, Dec 6: Days after RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, VHP leader Praveen Togadia today made a pitch for the construction of a Ram temple at Uttar Pradesh's Ayodhya.

"I am hopeful that the way the son of Gujarat, Sardar Patel, got Somnath temple built, in the same manner, the son of Gujarat Narendra Modi, who is firm on will power, will decide about the construction of a huge Ram temple," Togadia said at a public meeting here.

"If the need so arises, he (Modi) will enact a law in a joint session of Parliament," he said. Togadia said that a resolution for the construction of a Ram Temple was passed at BJP's national executive at Palanpur in Himachal Pradesh in 1987.

"This (construction of Ram Temple at Ayodhya) has a mention in BJP's manifesto as well," he added. The VHP leader said he was "hopeful" that under the leadership of Modi, work on a Ram Temple will be completed.

"For this, Hindus must be ready to support Modi," he said. "On Shaurya Diwas (observed by Hindu outfits on Dec. 6), we take two resolutions; one: to build Ram Temple, and to establish Ram Raj," he said.

Defining 'Ram Raj', Togadia said "it means employment to 10 crore youths, education to scores of children, free health facility to poor Hindus and well-being of farmers". Togadia said that VHP was providing education to children and free medical treatment to poor Hindus in a big way.

On December 2 in Kolkata, RSS chief Bhagwat had expressed hope that the Ram temple in Ayodhya would be constructed in his lifetime.

PTI