AYODHYA: Two truckloads of stones for proposed construction of Ram Mandir were unloaded at the VHP headquarters Karsevakpuram in Ayodhya on Monday and more will reportedly follow in days to come. On December 20, 2015, after stones for construction arrived in Ayodhya, the then Samajwadi Party government banned transport of more stones by denying form 39 of the commercial tax department.

“A month back, we contacted the commercial tax department officer and he issued form 39 that had been held back for the past one year,” senior VHP leader Triloki Nath Pandey told TOI, adding that with BJP in power in the state there are no hurdles in the way of the construction of Ram Mandir.

The Vishwa Hindu Parishad has announced to begin construction of the temple within a year. At a meeting of VHP that was attended by late VHP leader Ashok Singhal in June2015, it was announced that the organisation would run a nationwide drive to collect stones for construction of Ram Mandir.

Pandey said, “Two truckloads of stones to be used in construction of Ram Mandir arrived from Bharatpur Rajasthan on Monday, while we need more than hundred truckloads more to give final shape to the proposed temple and we are trying to bring home the remaining lot of stones within a couple of days.”

Reacting to the activities of VHP , Khaliq Ahmad Khan, a party in the case for Babri Masjid title suit, said the arrival of stones is just to send out a message to the electorate that the saffron forces are serious about construction of Ram Mandir. “Arrival of stones in truckloads or any other activity of VHP will not have any effect as the matter is sub judice and title of the land has yet to be decided, so we have faith in our Constitution and Supreme Court,” said Khan.

Lucknow University’s former vice chancellor Roop Rekha Varma said, “Since the matter related to Ayodhya is pending in court, such activities are illegal and anti-national and may give rise to communal tension and disturb peace, law and order, so the transport of stones to Ayodhya in the name of Ram Mandir must be banned and it is the responsibility of the state government to look into the matter seriously”

Senior CPI leader Surya Kant Pandey said, “VHP is increasing its illegal activities while the matter is in court. Such activities are open contempt of court and must be stopped.”

On April 19, Supreme Court had revived criminal conspiracy charges in the Babri Masjid demolition case against senior BJP leaders L K Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi, Rajasthan Governor Kalyan Singh, Union Minister Uma Bharti and Vinay Katiyar, among others. The apex court also ordered that trial in the case be conducted on day-to-basis without adjournments and announced a deadline of two years to deliver the verdict.

