The Ram Mandir movement, which began in the 1980s, gave the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) a tremendous boost. Although the BJP came to power, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) played a key role in its rise. Now, raising the issue of government control of Hindu religious sites, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad has called for another “temple movement.” Vishwa Hindu Parishad International President Alok Kumar said in Mangaluru, Karnataka, on Thursday that in the future, chief ministers and governments will be asked to return Hindu temples. He stated that a movement as large as necessary will be launched to achieve this goal, and that success similar to the Ram Mandir movement will be achieved.
VHP chief Alok Kumar has criticized opposition parties’ protests over the theft of Ram Mandir offerings in recent days. He stated that the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust itself filed an FIR regarding these irregularities and demanded the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT). He criticized independent MP Pappu Yadav’s act in Parliament, in which he was seen posing as a saint and stealing donations. On this, Alok Kumar said that these people are insulting Sanatan Dharma and will be given a befitting reply in the upcoming elections.
What is the VHP’s plan?
He says that in the coming days, they will meet with MLAs, MPs, Chief Ministers, and Governors and submit a memorandum demanding that the temples be returned to the Hindu community. Additionally, celebrity events will be organized in various cities across the country to garner public support for this movement.
Alok Kumar, speaking on this issue, said, “If the government doesn’t run mosques, gurdwaras, churches, Jain ashrams, or Buddhist monasteries, then why does it run temples? Why does it deposit temple funds in its treasury? It takes separate money in the name of audit fees, and by appointing a CEO, it takes that clerk’s salary and other expenses from the temple’s income.” The Vishwa Hindu Parishad has decided to raise this issue nationwide.
He further said, “In the future, we will tell all Chief Ministers and governments that the time has come for you to return our temples to us. We will launch a movement of whatever scale and scale is required, and just as the VHP succeeded in the Ram Janmabhoomi struggle, it succeeded in the Ram Setu struggle. Just as the Uniform Civil Code is now being enacted in most states, and cow protection laws have been enacted and strengthened in most states, we will fight for the liberation of the temples. We will work to ensure that the Government of India returns our temples to us.”