Mumbai: VHP to organise grand meet on December 14

The VHP, as part of its ongoing golden jubilee celebrations this year, will organise ‘Virat Hindu Sammelan’, a grand meet, on December 14 at Bandra Kurla Complex in Mumbai.

The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), as part of its ongoing golden jubilee celebrations this year, will organise ‘Virat Hindu Sammelan’, a grand meet, on December 14 at Bandra Kurla Complex in Mumbai.

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VHP leaders including Ashok Singhal and Pravin Togadia, BJP MP Yogi Adityanath and Jain International Trade Organisation mentor Muni Nayanpadmasagar will attend the meet.

“We are expecting a crowd of one lakh people from Mumbai, Thane, Navi Mumbai and Konkan areas. Members of the Jain, Buddhist and Sikh communities will attend the meet,” said Devkinandan Jindal, a VHP functionary.

The ‘Virat Hindu Sammelan’ is the first of several such meets planned across the country, said Venkatesh Abdeo, a senior VHP functionary.

At the meet, many subjects will be discussed, including the demand to bring the state’s four prominent temples – Siddhivinayak temple, the Shirdi Sai Baba shrine, Pandharpur’s Vitthal-Rukmini temple and Osmanabad’s Tulja Bhavani temple – back under the control of independent trusts. The temples are currently managed by the state government.

“We will also create awareness on issues such as ‘love jihad’ and teaching of holy scriptures in schools,” said Abdeo.

Abdeo said the organisation will push for a law in the state to ban cow slaughter. “We are happy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has shown willingness to stop the practice. We are now looking forward to it becoming a law,” he said.

Turning 50

The VHP was formed in August 1964

It held its first 50th year celebrations in the city on August 16 and 17 that were attended by RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat