Kovind contributes `5L for Ram Mandir

Kovind donates `5L; Shivraj gives `1L

New Delhi: President Ram Nath Kovind contributed over `5 lakh for the construction of a grand Ram temple in Ayodhya as the nationwide drive to collect donations kicked off on Friday. Vice-president M. Venkaiah Naidu’s family have already contributed over `5 lakh for the construction.

President Ram Nath Kovind on Friday donated `5,00,100 as a contribution in his personal capacity towards the construction of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya as the nationwide campaign — Samarpan Nidhi Sangraha Abhiyan — to collect contributions for the temple by the VHP and Shri Ram Janambhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust commenced.

The trust, set up by the government after Supreme Court’s direction, is the authority to oversee the construction of the temple.

At various locations throughout the country, contributions were made including in Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Uttarkhand among other states.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had on August 5 performed the bhoomi poojan at the Ram Janmbhoomi in Ayodhya, paving the way for construction of the temple.

A delegation including VHP’s international working president Alok Kumar, RSS leader Kulbhushan Ahuja, treasurer of the trust Govind Dev Giri and trust’s head Nripendra Mishra called on the President at the Rashtrapati Bhavan on Friday morning.

RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat also participated in the campaign at Mahrishi Valmiki Temple in the national capital.

Juna peeth’s head Swami Avdeheshanand Giri participated in the campaign at the Seva Basti in Nagpur, while Madhra Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan donated `1 lakh as a contribution to the construction of the temple in Ayodhya. “One brick from my family shall also be placed in the construction Lord Ram’s Temple.

This is not a Ram Temple really, is a national temple,” he tweeted.

Uttarakhand governor Baby Rani Maurya and chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat also contributed.

The highest contribution on Friday came from former UP MLA Surendra Bahadur Singh, who donated contributed more than one crore (`1,11,11,111) for the temple and handed over the cheque to VHP’s Champat Rai in Rae Bareli, Uttar Pradesh

In Patna, BJP’s Sushil Kumar Modi while participating in the campaign said, “I hope every Hindu family in Bihar contributes towards the building of the beautiful temple. I’m sure that whatever fund is required for the temple, we will get it out of people’s cooperation.”

Former Union minister Uma Bharti also made a contribution of `1 lakh for construction of the Ayodhya temple.

The Kinnar society of Madhya Pradesh has presented a cheque of `5.51 lakh for the cause.

It may be noted that the VHP’s fundraising campaign will end on January 27.