Ram temple movement was no less than freedom struggle, Says Champat Rai

The Ayodhya Ram temple movement was "no less" than the freedom struggle, Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra General Secretary Champat Rai said on Monday. Demolition of the Ram temple in Ayodhya was an insult to Bharat and the Hindu community, Rai said while participating in a felicitation programme in Indore.

Speaking at the gathering at the venue, he said, more than Rs 2,800 crore was received as donation from over 10 crore people for the construction of the Ram temple and the committee has paid all taxes.

"Rebuilding the Ram temple was a matter of prestige before the Hindu community because we can't live with the marks of slavery for a longer period. Building the temple was a need for our identification," Rai said.

He further said that people's perception towards the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh has gone through a change in the past decades and more people are associating themselves with it. "In the 60s, people were not willing to associate themselves with the RSS and the main reason for that was that false allegations were made against us. But, the scenario has changed now," Rai added.

Scores of people, including priests, have laid down their lives to keep the Ram temple movement alive in the heart of the Hindu community in the last 500 years. "The songs we recited at RSS camps for the last several decades are becoming a reality now," Rai said.

He said no iron and steel were used in the grand temple construction. Stones have been sourced from Bansi Paharpur area of Rajasthan. The most important work is related to the beginning of the construction of the Raja Ram's 'darbar' on the first and second floor of the temple.