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Poll battle for Ayodhya: VHP out to rekindle memories of Ram temple movement
Members of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, the VHP and the RSS have also started canvassing for BJP candidates in Ayodhya
Seeking support for Bharatiya Janata Party candidates, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) is out to rekindle memories of the Ram temple movement among voters in Ayodhya and around 50 assembly constituencies in the temple town’s vicinity by distributing prasad and the Ram Janmabhoomi soil.
Packed in two separate pouches, VHP volunteers are giving the prasad from the Ram temple and the soil to people during a door-to-door contact programme. Ayodhya goes to polls in the fifth phase of polling on February 27. Before that, the VHP plans to reach out to most of the households in this pilgrim town.
At Karsevakpuram, the volunteers are working round the clock and have already prepared 15,000 pouches. VHP leader Dhireshwar (who goes by one name) is spearheading this campaign that was kicked off from the Ayodhya Sadar assembly constituency in which Ram Janmabhoomi is located.
Soon, it will be extended to the remaining four assembly constituencies of Ayodhya district — Bikapur, Milkipur, Rudauli and Gosainganj. Simultaneously, the campaign will be rolled out in around 50 other assembly constituencies adjoining Ayodhya. A team of VHP volunteers reached the Naya Ghat area on Monday afternoon as part of the doorstep campaign.
Receiving the prasad near Naya ghat, shopkeeper Ram Sagar, aged over 60 years, reverently took the two pouches in his hands and touched his forehead in reverence. Ram Sagar sells wooden slippers (khadau) on the Naya Ghat road from his small shop. “I was around 31 years old when police opened fire on karsevaks (Oct-November 1990) in Ayodhya during the Ram Mandir movement. Now, Ram Mandir is being constructed after three decades of struggle (legal battle),” said Ram Sagar.
“But memories of the Ram temple movement are crystal clear in my mind,” he added.
Sharad Sharma, VHP’s regional spokesperson who operates from Karsevakpuram, Ayodhya, is also taking part in the campaign. “We are distributing Ram Mandir’s prasad and soil in the door-to-door campaign. We are carrying out this campaign on our own in a bid to connect with voters,” said Sharad Sharma.
Members of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, the VHP and the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) have also started canvassing for BJP candidates in Ayodhya. They are issuing an appeal to vote for the party that ensured construction of the Ram Mandir. Trust member Anil Mishra is playing a key role in this connection.
Trust members also issued an appeal to people to exercise their right to vote. RSS leaders have made Ayodhya their centre to manage poll strategies of BJP in the Awadh region and help them win the maximum seats.
On Tuesday, saints and volunteers of VHP carried out a door-to-door campaign in Sirathu assembly constituency of Kaushambi district from where deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya is in the fray.
Hanuman Garhi temple head priest Ramesh Das, Sharad Sharma, Mahant Ram Das and several others from Ayodhya reached Sirathu and distributed prasad and soil of Ram Mandir while connecting with the voters during canvassing. “We have come to Sirathu for distribution of prasad. We will stay here for a week to reach out to every voter,” said Ramesh Das, head priest of Hanuman Garhi.
