The new chairperson of the Ramjanmabhoomi Teertha Kshetra Trust, Mahant Nritya Gopal Das of the Ramjanmabhoomi Nyas, called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi at his residence here and invited him for the ground-breaking ceremony for the Ram temple in Ayodhya.
“We called on Prime Minister Modi and have extended an invitation for the ‘bhoomi poojan’. He said he would give it due consideration,” the Mahant said after the meeting.
The Trust’s general secretary, Champat Rai of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, and treasurer, Swami Govind Devji Maharaj of Pune, accompanied him.
Date not fixed
The date for the ground-breaking ceremony has not been finalised yet, though sources told The Hindu that it would be done at the Trust’s next meeting in Ayodhya on March 3 and 4.
Babri demolition accused hold key posts in Ram temple trust
At its first meeting, the trust elected office-bearers, determined a chartered accountancy firm based in Delhi for its auditing and accounts, and took decisions regarding opening of a bank account to solicit donations for the construction. It also decided that a temple construction committee would be formed with former Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister, Nripendra Mishra, heading it.
The Mahant has reportedly offered to turn over all funds collected by the Nyas for the construction of the temple at the height of the Ramjanmabhoomi movement to the Trust.
The first cheque for ₹5 lakh towards the fund, however, has come from Swami Vishwaprasanna Teertha of the Pejawar Math in Udupi, who is also a member of the Trust. His predecessor, Swami Vishwesha Teertha, was one of the first to raise the demand for a Ram temple in Ayodhya and did much to advocate the cause.
