Bajrang Dal to arm cadre with trishuls

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, JAN. 25. The Bajrang Dal, the youth wing of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, today announced its determination to recruit 30 lakh youths over the next few months, to give martial arts training to 10 lakh and arm 3 lakh of these volunteers with `trishuls', all in the name of ``awakening'' the people on the Ram temple issue.

Simultaneously, the Dal convener, Mr. Surendra Jain, announced a drive to collect funds - Rs. 1,100 to be taken from each of about 3 lakh villages to make up a grand sum of Rs. 33 crores - also in the name of the Ram temple.

Mr. Giriraj Kishore, senior VHP vice-president, did not rule out the need for ``sacrificing'' the Vajpayee Government.

The Bajrang Dal was not at all worried that its plan to raise a veritable army could lead to Muslim organisations doing the same. Let them do it too, Mr. Jain said, adding that the Dal was not afraid of a confrontation. The Dal also said it would ``monitor'' movement of all cattle during Bakri-Id and ``we will not allow a single cow to be sacrificed and slaughtered that day''. His view was that if Muslims agreed to restrict their offering and sacrifice to goats, that would be appreciated.

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