VHP set to increase cadre base by 50 lakh

New Delhi: The Rashtriya Swayam-sewak Sangh-affiliate Vishwa Hindu Parishad is likely to increase its cadre base by a whopping 50 lakh members after the Supreme Court verdict on the the Babri Masjid-Ram Janmabhoomi dispute.

The VHP had launched a drive to garner new members, also known as Hindu Hit Chintaks. It was launched on November 24 and is scheduled to culminate on December 8. Sources stated that a target of around 30 lakh members was set earlier. However, a massive response from people to join the outfit made the VHP revise the target for new members to 50 lakh.

A membership drive by the VHP, launched after three years, is understood to be attracting massive interest in the saffron outfit. The Hindu Hit Chintaks are part of the VHP and work for the betterment and improvement of the Hindu society. These members can also be drawn from other faiths like Jains, Buddhists and Sikhs.

Sources stated that the membership drive is launched every three years. “This year’s efforts have received immense response due to the positive mood in the country post the Ram Janmabhoomi verdict by the apex court,” a senior VHP functionary stated.

VHP sources stated that owing to the upbeat mood of the nation, the organisation decided to revise its target. The VHP has been in the forefront of the Ram Janmabhoomi cause, calling for the construction of a grand Ram temple at Ayodhya and has been one of the chief contributors for kar sevaks at the height of the agitation.

The Ram Janmabhoomi verdict was delivered by the Supreme Court on November 9.

The apex court had ordered the disputed land of 2.77 acres be handed over to a trust, to be formed by the government of India for the temple. The court also ordered the government to give an alternative five acres of land to the Sunni Waqf Board for building a mosque.