Hyderabad: N. V. Subhash, grandson of former prime minister PV Narasimha Rao and a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), donated Rs.21.5 lakh for the ongoing construction of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh. The donation came on the last day of the ‘Abhiyan’ or mission of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and other right-wing groups to collect money for the temple.
On Monday, Subhash’s donation was made through a cheque, which was handed over to BJP’s Telangana president and member of Parliament from the Karimnagar seat, Bandi Sanjay, said a statement from the BJP leader, who is a spokesperson for the party in the state. It added that the funds were mobilized from his friends, acquaintances, BJP workers and leaders for construction of the ‘Bhavya and Divya’ at the Ram Janmabhoomi of Bhagwan Sri Ram in Ayodhya.
The cheque was drawn in the name of ‘Shri Ram Janmabhoomu Teerth Kshetra’, his statement added. Like Subhash, many other leaders and even big names have donated funds for the construction of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. Veeramsetty Vidya Sagar, Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir Nirman Nidhi Samparna Abhiyan, said that Monday was the last day of collections for the temple, and that all details of it will be provided in the coming days.
“RSS and VHP has its infrastructure all over the country (for collection of funds), and they are going to gated communities. Maximum (donations) are online only. In the last two months, our target was to touch 10,000 villages of Telangana,” Vidya Sagar told siasat.com.
Over the past few months, many news reports from Hyderabad have stated that VHP activists have been collecting funds from across the city, which has made many citizens feel a little intimidated.
Amrita (name changed), a resident of Financial district, was one such person who was surprised to see a notification that VHP activists were coming to ask for funds. “I read that they are pasting stickers on homes that have given money, so does that mean that others like me who didn’t want to donate will be singled out?” she asked, a little miffed.
Similarly, Aliya (name changed), was also surprised to see a donation sticker on the door of her office near Ameerpet.
The BJP and its cadres across all districts in Telangana have also been involved in the donation drive. When asked about the total amount collected here in the state, Vidya Sagar however said it could not be given, and added that everything will be announced later this month.