Rajasthan MLAs call for puja at ‘haunted’ House
Amid heated debates in the Rajasthan assembly on issues of farmer distress and corruption, the MLAs on Thursday raised another demand – holding of a ‘puja’ to ward off evil spirits from the ‘haunted’ House.
After the untimely deaths of BJP MLAs Kirti Kumari and Kalyan Singh, talks of the Rajasthan assembly, which is built on a cremation ground, being haunted began to make rounds.
BJP MLAs Habibur Rahman and Kalulal Gurjar raised the issue with chief minister Vasundhara Raje in the House on the day.
Rahman said some BJP MLAs were discussing the demise of Kalyan Singh with Raje and told her that the spirits of the departed still haunt the assembly as it was built on a cremation ground. He said since the assembly shifted to the new premises in 2001, all 200 MLAs have never been alive in any of the assembly terms.
“I told madam that the building is constructed on a cremation ground and pujas should be performed to ward off evil spirits,” said Rahman.
Kalyan Singh, the MLA from Nathdwara, passed away on Wednesday. In August last year, BJP MLA from Mandalgarh Kirti Kumari had died of swine flu.
After Kirti Kumari’s death, bypolls were held in January 2018 and Vivek Dhakad of the Congress was declared elected on February 1.
Kalulal Gurjar, chief whip of the BJP in the assembly, agreed that a purification of the assembly premises was needed. “I think if the government gets a puja and purification ceremony done and a feast is organised then any evil spirits can be warded off,” he said.
Former speaker Sumitra Singh said during her tenure from 2003 to January 2009, the issue of ‘vaastu dosh’ had come up but no one had spoken of ghosts.
However assembly secretary Prithviraj, who uses only his first name, dismissed the talk of ghosts as mere chatter. “The concern of the MLAs is unfounded. I have worked till late night in the assembly several times and I never felt presence of any ghosts or spirits.”