New Delhi, Feb 21 The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh off-shoot, has an absolute majority in the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, which was formed on the orders of the Supreme Court.
As per the rules, out of 15 members of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, 11 key trustees will be in a decisive role.
Of these 11 trustees, nine members are from the VHP.
Out of these nine, Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust chairman Nritya Gopal Das, Swami Vasudevanand Saraswati, Swami Parmanand, Swami Vishwa Prasanna-theerth, Swami Govinddev Giri are in the 'margdarshak mandal' of the VHP while general secretary of the trust Champat Rai is the international general secretary of the VHP.
Dalit member Kameshwar Chaupal has experience of working in the VHP as well as RSS. He has even performed a symbolic foundation laying ceremony of the temple. Anil Mishra, a homeopathic doctor from Ayodhya, is associated with the RSS. K Parasaran, former Attorney General and senior advocate, is also associated with the RSS and has been legal advisor to the VHP.
Only, Mahant Dinendra Das of Nirmohi Akhada and Vimlendra Mohan Pratap Mishra, a descendant of Ayodhya rulers, are not associated to the RSS or the VHP.
Meanwhile, the trust has started contacting the devotees of Lord Ram around Ayodhya for the construction of the temple. A meeting of the route chiefs of the 'Chaurasi Kos' circumambulance are of Ayodhya will be held on February 22 in Karsevakpuram under the banner of Hanuman Mandal.
The second meeting of the trust is proposed to be held on March 3-4 in Ayodhya. Important decision regarding the plans for the construction of the temple will be taken in this meeting.
Notably, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's former aide Nirpendra Misra has been named chairman of the temple construction committee.
The committee will also meet after the second meeting of the trust in which important decision will be taken about construction of the temple.
Earlier on Thursday, the trustees of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust met Prime Minister Modi and invited him to the 'bhoomi pujan' (foundation laying stone ceremony) of the proposed temple which he accepted.
( With inputs from IANS )