Proposal to construct Ayodhya Ram temple was passed at BJP’s meeting in this Himachal town in 1989
TNR Desk
DHARAMSHALA: January 22 is poised to become a historic day for Palampur in Himachal Pradesh as the town boasts of a significant connection to the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya. The roots of this association trace back 34 years when, in June 1989, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) passed the proposal for the temple’s construction at the Rotary Bhawan in Palampur. During a three-day meeting of the BJP national working committee from June 9 to 11, the proposal was swiftly approved within two minutes.
The meeting in Palampur, attended by leaders like Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Lal Krishna Advani, Vijayaraje Scindia and Shanta Kumar, marked the inception of the idea. LK Advani presented the proposal on behalf of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, with approval from Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Shanta Kumar, the then president of Himachal BJP, was entrusted with the responsibility of the BJP national executive.
The secrecy surrounding the Ram temple proposal led to a surprising turnout of supporters in a BJP rally at Gandhi Ground, with people standing till the police station—a rare sight in Palampur’s history. Notably, Vijayaraje Scindia, who attended the meeting, visited Shanta Kumar’s house to watch the Mahabharata serial during that time.
As the consecration ceremony approaches, Himachal Pradesh Public Works Minister Vikramaditya Singh confirmed his presence on January 22 in Ayodhya. Former Chief Minister Shanta Kumar, a key organiser in the temple’s outline in Palampur, will not attend the ceremony due to health reasons.
Himachal Panchayati Raj Minister Anirudh Singh announced that representatives from every panchayat of his Kasumpti Assembly constituency and Municipal Corporation ward will visit the Ram temple in Ayodhya.
