ABAP against move for registration, regulation of religious places in UP

Mahant Narendra Giri says all the monasteries and temples in UP are safe and there is no threat to them

PRAYAGRAJ : The Akhil Bhartiya Akhara Parishad (ABAP) has opposed the move to introduce Religious Places Registration and Regulation Ordinance for registration and regulation of the religious places in the state.

Mahant Narendra Giri, president of ABAP, the apex decision-making body of country’s 13 recognised monastic orders, said that all the monasteries and temples in Uttar Pradesh are safe and there is no threat to them.

“If it is very important to bring an ordinance for religious places and is deemed necessary to set up a separate directorate for them, then the opinion of saints and seers should also be taken in this regard,” he said.

In a communiqué issued here on Wednesday, he said that it would not be appropriate to subject seers and saints under the authority of the state government in any way.

He said that in the prevailing system, saints and seers have control over maths, temples and other religious places in UP and the arrangement was working well.

Giri said that he was confident that since the chief minister of the state, Yogi Adityanath is also the head priest of Gorakshpeeth, the decision taken by him would be in the larger interest of the saint community and one which would be acceptable to all.

ABAP demands that if the state government introduces a new law, then it should be ensured that monasteries and temples should be kept out of government control. NARENDRA GIRI, president of Akhil Bhartiya Akhara Parishad

“ABAP demands that if the state government introduces a new law, then it should be ensured that monasteries and temples should be kept out of government control. The government should not acquire them in any way”, said Giri.

He, however, assured that if the state government brings any law regarding law and order, then the monasteries and temples would be bound to follow it.