VHP Plans to Gain Foothold in Tamil Nadu as Part of Expansion Plans Across Country

After the resolution of the dispute over Ayodhya’s Ram Temple and chief Mohan Bhagwat announcing that the RSS will not take up any mass movement in future, the Sangh’s most vocal and aggressive arm Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) has started shifting gears with plans to expand the organisation throughout the country.

In its two-day meeting that began in Coimbatore on Saturday, the VHP top brass planned the organisation and expansion of service projects in Tamil Nadu. The VHP also said it will work actively to stop the religious conversion activities of Christian missionaries in Tamil Nadu.

The VHP has decided to agitate at the all-India level against the anti-Hindu policies and actions of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana governments, alleging that the illegal takeover and distribution of lands of temples; employment and involvement of non-Hindus in Hindu temple administration and employment in Tirupati and Srisailam; payment of maulvis and pastors from the general taxpayers’ money; and appointment of only Christians in government jobs is not only anti-Hindu but also unconstitutional and illegal. In January, the VHP will hold demonstrations in every district of the country and plan long-term agitations in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

The Citizenship Amendment Act will also be taken up during the meet as the VHP believes the Act is correcting historical wrongs done at the time of partition. The VHP will also convey to the people that the Act does not deal with Indian Muslims but non-Muslim minorities of only three Islamic countries and hence is not discriminatory towards Indian Muslims.

After the Supreme Court verdict on the Ayodhya dispute, the VHP is assured that the Centre will form a trust within the stipulated time for the construction of a grand Ram Temple, it said. The organisation will undertake programmes such as Rath Yatras and congregations from March 25 to April 8.

The VHP also has plans for an image makeover, with workers meeting MPs across party lines during the Winter Session and explaining to them the causes they are taking up.

The VHP currently has organisational units in 29 countries and 60,000 places in the country with a membership of over 30 lakh. The VHP is running over one lakh service projects in the field of health, education, women empowerment, skill development etc.