Over Rs 1,000 crore has so far been raised for the Ram temple in Ayodhya through the campaign started in January, a member of the trust overseeing the construction of the shrine said on Thursday. Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra secretary Champat Rai said people from all communities have generously donated for the construction of the Ram Temple.
The accounts of the trust in three nationalised banks show an amount of over Rs 1,000 crore, he said. Rai said nearly 1.50 lakh VHP activists are collecting funds for the Ram temple. Thirty-seven activists have been deputed to deposit the donations in the bank accounts.
From remote villages, activists are bringing funds and depositing in the bank accounts, he said. Rai said all communities are supporting the fundraising campaign that was started on January 15. The Ram temple trust has opened accounts in the State Bank of India, Punjab National Bank and the Bank of Baroda.
As per news agency IANS, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and 35 organisations linked to the Sangh Parivar, have been given a list of rules that have to be followed when volunteers begin the `Sahyog Samarpan` campaign to collect funds for Ram temple construction.
The campaign begins on February 14 and volunteers from organisations including VHP, BJP, Adhivakta Sangh, Mazdoor Sangh, Kisan Sangh, ABVP and others, will move from house to house of the common man, seeking contribution for the Ram temple. The idea is to not leave even a single house, anywhere, all over the state.
However, the list of rules for the campaign clearly states that there would be no motorcycle rally, no slogan shouting, no yatra or procession. "We want the campaign to be conducted in a disciplined and quiet manner. The a is to ensure that the people are not intimidated by any show of strength.
The families can contribute Rs 10, Rs 100 and Rs 1,000 as per the denomination of the coupon. People can buy as many coupons as they want but the volunteers have been asked to be equally respectful to all, irrespective of the amount they contribute. "There should be no argument and no `tiraskar` by those who are asking for money. It has been made clear to all," sources told IANS.
The volunteers will carry with them, pamphlets with the picture of Ram temple model, history of court cases and the dispute and the `conclusion` of it all. These pamphlets will be given only to those who ask for it. Senior functionaries of the various organisations will keep attach to the volunteers to ensure that they adhere to the rules. "We want the campaign to be free from trouble and controversy. The volunteers have been conveyed the rules and there will be no show of strength," said a senior VHP functionary.
The volunteers will fan out in groups of ten and will cover 50 houses a day. "Every group has been given a route map. Assessment for every group will be done every evening," said Avadhesh Kumar Pandey, a BJP functionary in Ayodhya.
with additional inputs from news agencies
