Babri masjid
Hindu militants storm a disputed mosque-temple site December 6, 1992 climbing atop the building's dome as they demolish it to clear the site for a Hindu temple. [Representational Image]Reuters

The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) has initiated its preparations for the Ram temple construction work even before the hearing of Ramjanmabhoomi-Babri Masjid title dispute case which is scheduled on October 29 in Supreme Court.

In the hope of a favourable outcome of the hearing, VHP is said to have ordered trucks loaded with stones and gathered a number of artisans to carve them into pillars and structures that would be accumulated into a three-storied Ram temple.

As stated by VHP leaders in Ayodhya, 70 more trucks carrying stones – almost four times the quantum that they brought in more than a year ago at its Ramjanmabhoomi Mandir Nirman Karyashala (workshop) – will expectedly arrive soon. The workshop is being closely managed by VHP top brass and Ramjanmabhoomi Nyas.

"We are not going to step back. This is a battle for victory of truth. We are just waiting for the Supreme Court order," VHP's international vice-president Champat Rai told TOI. The road to Ramjanmabhoomi was closed for public movement as security personnel kept a close watch around the disputed site.

While the petitioner Triloki Nath Pandey, who has been associated with the workshop, is hopeful of the Supreme Court hearing on the issue, the chief litigant Iqbal Ansari, was not happy. He said that BJP government needed to stop VHP from getting into the construction work as the case was pending before the apex court. "Whenever elections are round the corner, VHP steps up its activities," Ansari added.

VHP's Ram Mandir construction workshop Ram Sewak Puram, where huge stones brought from Rajasthan's Mirzapur and Gujarat have been kept, is going to see lots of work in the coming days once the legal hurdle gets cleared. Huge stones after being broken into smaller pieces are taken to the workshop for shaping and carving works.

Prince Pathak, a VHP member and also workshop caretaker, said that the stones brought earlier have been cut and will be transported to the main workshop.