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Singhal reiterates resolve to erect temple at Pokhran

Vishwa Hindu Parishad working president Ashok Singhal said on Sunday that there was a proposal to construct a place of worship at Pokhran by sadhus, and that this would be discussed at a meeting to be held shortly.

Talking to reporters, Singhal said the place of worship would be named as 'Shakti' because the nuclear tests was dubbed as Shakti.

He reiterated the VHP's stand of having a mandir at Ayodhya as well as Kashi and Mathura, and said a situation would soon arise in which there would be no clamour and opposition on the issue. He described the walk-out on the issue in Parliament as ''ridiculous''.

Singhal said so far Rs 82.5 million had been collected under the Shriram Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas. All the political parties in the country should respect the sentiments of Hindus and allow them to construct a temple at all the three places. He criticised the communists in the country, saying that they had ''betrayed'' the country by criticising the nuclear tests.

He said liberation of Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir was the only issue left to be sorted out in Kashmir, and said Pakistan had started an undeclared war in Jammu and Kashmir. Singhal said the VHP was preparing a team of 10,000 full-time workers in the country who would work as missionaries. Each would work in an area covering a population of 100,000. He said at present, 400,000 Christian missionaries were working in the country. In every district 2,500 ''life time Hindu hitchintak (wellwishers)'' would be appointed to look after the daily needs of the people.

UNI

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