Temple politics is far from over
Hours after the Modi government’s announcement of the much-awaited Trust for construction of Ram Temple in Ayodhya on Wednesday, Hindu groups celebrated across Uttar Pradesh while temples in Ayodhya were lit with earthen lamps and lights.
However, underneath there was a resentment among a section of seers, saints and Hindutva groups.
Heads of several religious places and Shankaracharyas, who had lobbied hard in the last three months to push their names in the trust, were disappointed.
Mahant Nritya Gopal Das, the head of the Ram Janmbhumi Nyas and the most respected seer in Ayodhya, who had led the Temple movement for decades, found that his name is missing from the Trust. Clearly miffed, he said, “The people who fought for the temple their entire life have been insulted through the formation of this trust.”
He has confined himself to a room since Thursday morning. “He had not spoken to anyone since morning. We are worried,” said Yash Prakash Singh, a local resident and a follower of the Mahant. Some seers have criticised the government for inclusion of “controversial” people in the trust.
Swami Avimukteshwaranad of Vidya Math held a press conference on Thursday in Varanasi to condemn the government decision to include controversial Shankaracharya Badrinath Jyotishpeeth Swami Vasudevanand Saraswati (Prayagraj) in the Trust.
“The court had disqualified him from holding the Shankaracharya post. Forget Shankaracharya, he is not even a qualified seer. The government has insulted the High Court and the Sanatan Hindu Dharma by appointing him as a trustee of the Ram Temple,” said Swami Avimukteshwaranad of Vidya Math.
Swami Avimukteshwaranad also questioned RSS leader Dr Anil Mishra’s nomination. “Instead of seers and saints, RSS functionaries have been appointed. This shows how the Sangh is trying to mark its presence in the Hindu religious space. Those who had demolished the mosque illegally are now on the Temple board.”
He said that the Trust was “an insult” to all those people who fought the case in the courts and also to the saints of Ayodhya who led the movement.
The Swami said that he would take the Modi government to court and challenge its “arbitrary decision” to include “dubious” people in the trust.
Kamal Nayan, another prominent seer in Ayodhya, has questioned the appointment of Ayodhya Raja Bimalendra Mishra citing that he is a political person with no contribution in the Temple movement. Mishra had unsuccessfully contested Lok Sabha elections on a BSP ticket a decade ago.