MP CM contributes Rs1 lakh for Ram Temple construction

Bhopal MP Pragya Thakur also contributed Rs1.11 lakh. The VHP hopes to collect Rs5 crore from the state where the drive will continue till Feb 27

Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan donated Rs1 lakh for the construction of Ram Temple in Ayodhya on Friday during a nationwide campaign of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra. President Ramnath Kovind was among the first to donate money for Ram Temple in Delhi.

MP chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan. (HT file)

Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) began the campaign on Friday for collecting funds on behalf of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra.

Handing over the cheque to VHP wleader Vinayakrao Deshpande, Chouhan said he felt fortunate to have got a chance to contribute for the construction of Ram Temple.

Bhopal MP Pragya Thakur also contributed Rs1.11 lakh.

VHP regional head Jitendra Chauhan said, “As many as 20,000 VHP workers will hold a door-to-door campaign to collect funds. The drive will continue till February 27. Our target is to collect at least Rs5 crore from MP.”

Meanwhile, Congress initiated an awareness campaign to request people to donate the fund directly in the account of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra.

Former minister and Congress MLA PC Sharma said, “We are holding a campaign to educate people to donate the fund directly in the account of the Trust. They should avoid cash donation through middlemen like VHP leaders, who are creating nuisance in the name of the collection drive.”

Responding to the allegations, BJP spokesperson Rajneesh Agrawal said, “It is sad that Congress leaders are blaming rallies for communal tension, not miscreants who pelted stones and created ruckus. But we welcome them for joining the collection drive for the construction of Ram Temple.”