‘Mandir will be true tribute to Singhal’

Describing late VHP leader Ashok Singhal as a “true stalwart of the Hindutva movement,” RSS supremo Mohan Bhagwat on Sunday said a real tribute to Singhal would be fulfilling his pledge of constructing Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. Hailed by many as the chief architect of the Ram Janmabhoomi movement, 89-year-old Singhal had passed away earlier this week after a prolonged illness.

Recalling his last meeting with Singhal earlier this month, Mr Bhagwat said he wanted two things to be accomplished — construction of Ram temple at Ram Janmabhoomi and propagation of Vedas and the same should be accomplished by working sincerely towards them. Glowing tributes were paid to Singhal by Sangh Parivar leaders, including VHP president Pravin Togadia, former VHP president Vishnu Hari Dalmiya, saffron leader Rithambhara, BJP president Amit Shah, BJP veteran Murli Manohar Joshi, Union ministers M. Venkaiah Naidu, Dr Harsh Vardhan, Ravi Shankar Prasad and Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti, among others.

“We have to make serious attempts to accomplish the Ram temple and that will be a true tribute to him. Ashokji’s spirit will guide us in this task. We have to keep moving and working on the path shown by Ashokji and in the coming few years we hope to work towards accomplishing his dream of Ram Temple,” Mr Bhagwat said at a function to pay tributes to Singhal.

Sharing his over 60-year relationship with Singhal, Dr Joshi said Singhal was committed to the spread of Vedic wisdom and values in the world. Dr Joshi said Ram and Bharat are synonymous with each other and sought to remove misconceptions, asserting Singhal never sought to divide people but was a unifying factor.

Meanwhile, the VHP has decided to take out asthi kalash yatras for Singhal during which the funerary urns of the late VHP leader would be immersed in 50 rivers across the country. In UP, the yatra will begin from Prayag and culminate at Ayodhya.