According to the VHP on Thursday, the growing number of petitions asserting Hindu sovereignty over Muslim monuments may be the consequence of Hindu ire at the Muslim community’s unwillingness to freely cede contested sites like Ayodhya, Mathura, and Kashi to the Hindus.
However, the organisation stated that it is important to fully comprehend Mohan Bhagwat’s warnings regarding such petitions. “In 1984, a Dharm Sansad had been organised. It was said ‘Give us these three (Ayodhya, Kashi and Mathura) and there will be no noise on other issues.’ It is almost 2025 now. That what was proposed in 1984 has not materialised may have led to certain situations. So, the anger visible in society is probably among the important reasons,” VHP general secretary Milind Parande said.
On Bhagwat’s statement, Parande said, “Earlier, Mohan Bhagwat ji had spoken about Kashi and Mathura and his (latest) statement should be understood in that context.”
When asked to comment on certain statements by some Hindu religious figures that have run contrary to Bhagwat’s advice, Parande told, “We don’t comment on saints.”
Bhagwat emphasised that the Ram Temple in Ayodhya was a “matter of faith” for Hindus during an event in Pune on December 19. However, he also said that it was “unacceptable” to bring up “such new issues on a daily basis” due to “extreme hatred, malice, enmity, and suspicion.”
Some religious leaders in Hinduism have stated after the announcement that the Sangh should not dictate to Hindu society.
Speaking on government control of temples, Parande said, “We are going to start a countrywide public awareness campaign in this regard from January 5, 2025. The call for this campaign will be given in a special and huge gathering of lakhs of people called ‘Haindava Shankhaaraavam’ to be organized in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh.”
A draft law for the transfer of temples to society and their future administration has also been produced by the organisation. According to Parande, the organization’s delegation met with Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu last week and presented him with the draft law for review. A list of requests that the VHP stated must be met prior to the temples being turned over was also made public.
The removal of all non-Hindu employees from temples and endowment departments, the restriction of the appointment of politicians or individuals connected to any political party to Trust Boards and temple management, the prohibition of the establishment of shops within and outside of temples, the removal of all non-Hindu encroachments and constructions, and the removal of all illegal constructions on temple property are some of these measures.
Parande brought up the subject of demographic imbalance as well. The nation’s demographic imbalance can be attributed to four factors. One is illegal immigration from Myanmar and Bangladesh. Second is falling fertility rate among Hindus. Christians’ conversion comes in third, followed by Muslims’ Love Jihad in fourth. We won’t be able to rectify the demographic imbalance until we solve these problems,” he stated.
