VHP Claims New Mandir – Masjid Issue will Not Arise if Kashi, Mathura given to Hindus
NEW DELHI, Dec 26: Apparently disagreeing with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat who had recently expressed pain over new Mandir – Masjid disputes, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad organising general secretary Milind Parande said had the temples of Mathura and Kashi been given to the Hindu community, like Ayodhya, many of the present temple-mosque disputes would not have occurred arisen.
Mr Bhagwat while expressing concern over the resurgence of temple-mosque disputes had also said no one would become a “leader of Hindus” by fanning communal divide. Mr Parande, who spoke on the sidelines of the launch of a campaign to “liberate Hindu temples from government control” on Thursday, however, claimed that there was no disagreement and that Mr Bhagwat’s statement was “misinterpreted.”
“His statement must be looked at in full context and not in isolation. We must look at his statements made in 1984, when he had said that if we got the three temples [Kashi, Mathura and Ayodhya], the entire issue would come to an end. It’s almost 2025 but this is yet to happen,” Mr Parande said. “The kind of resentment we are seeing right now is important if we take into context the full perspective.”
The RSS Chief, while speaking on the topic of ‘Vishwaguru Bharat’ at the 23rd lecture series organised by Shahjeevan in Pune on December 19 had said there was a spree which is going on in India to disrespect gods of other religion.
“Extremism, aggressiveness, forcefulness, and insulting others’ gods are not in the nature of our country and are unacceptable,” he said, adding that to become the “Vishwaguru”, India should not forget its nature that is “accommodative of all.” Sounding a word of caution, the RSS chief had said the Ram temple was built to respect the sentiments of Hindus but to use it to become a “Hindu neta [politician]” was unacceptable.
(Manas Dasgupta)
