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Temple temptations • Wooing god Rahul Gandhi has declared himself

as an ardent devotee of Lord Shiva
intensify before LS polls

yatra on foot to once again flaunt his
Hindu credentials. The internal assess-
As 2019 polls draw closer, political leaders across the spectrum have ment undertaken by Congress in the
HARD begun their pro-Hindu pitch to lure vote banks. How significantly would the aftermath of its debacle in 2014 elections
had reportedly convinced it that its mi-
LINE temple politics succeed? nority appeasement had boomeranged
on them with disastrous results, hence
ANIL SINGH our visits to Pashupatinath Temple helps in fulfilling one’s wishes. the course correction. According to some
in Nepal by Prime Minister Modi experts, Rahul is trying to send a larger
between July 2014 and August-end Modi’s visits to Pashupatinath Temple message of being a devout Hindu as part
The columnist is 2018 and the Congress President, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has paid of his strategy of soft Hindutva.
Executive Editor of F Rahul Gandhi’s proclamation of four visits to Pashupatinath Temple in
News24 news himself as devotee of Lord Shiva and his Kathmandu, Nepal. Soon after taking over Way Ahead
channel. The views current visit to Mansrovar, have brought as prime minister, PM Modi paid a visit to Religion has seemingly become an
here expressed are the focus of political discourse on Lord Shiva on Pashupatinath temple on 12 July 2014 and integral part of contemporary political
author’s own the pattern of Lord Rama, the beginning for second visit took place on 5 August 2014. narrative in India and every political
which was made by the BJP by the fag end In other words, he visited Pashupatinath entity is ostensibly trying to woo Hindu
of the 1980s, culminating in the demoli- Temple twice in 2014. His third visit to the votes by declaring itself as a devotee of
tion of Babri Mosque and launching of the temple took place on 12 May 2018, after a one god or the other. In other words,
movement of building Ram Temple at the gap of three years, and incidentally, it coin- November-December, 2017, assembly Congress seems there has begun a race for exploiting reli-
demolished site in Ayodhya in UP. cided with the state assembly elections in elections in Gujarat. During the closing gion for political gains and this tendency
The BJP has reaped immense political Karnataka. Some critics lamented that Modi part of November 2017, Rahul Gandhi to have adopted bodes ill for the future of democracy in
dividends from the Ram Temple move- was more interested in using his pilgrim- was embroiled in a controversy after the strategy the country. There seems to be no going
ment irrespective of the fact that the issue age to Hindu shrines in Nepal just ahead of his name was listed in the temple book back from this in the foreseeable future
of construction of the temple is still mired Karnataka assembly polls as a photo oppor- at the famed Somnath shrine as ‘non- of the BJP by because the level of electioneering is
in controversies and currently it is pending tunity during the silent period before voting Hindu’. As per the tradition of the temple, getting worse election after election.
before the Supreme Court for final deci- rather than addressing the grievances of non-Hindus have to enter their names harnessing Healthy political competition is missing.
sion. The Congress president has declared the people of Indian origin in Nepal. in the temple book. The book showed religion for The Supreme Court’s judgment at the
himself as an ardent devotee of Lord Shiva Last days of the month of August 2018 the names of Congress leader Ahmed cusp of 2017 that religion and caste can-
and this adds to his credentials as a devout witnessed Nepal hosting the Bay of Bengal Patel and Rahul Gandhi. In order to clear political gains not be used by politicians seems to have
Hindu. Congress has seemingly adopted the Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and the air surrounding the controversy, the and enhancing its fallen on deaf years. Electorate in India
strategy of the BJP by harnessing religion Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) Summit, Congress spokesperson had to clarify have been divided and ruled by politi-
for political gains and enhancing its Hindu in which India was represented by Modi. that the alleged goof up was made by Hindu credentials cians playing the caste or religion card
credentials. On the sidelines of the Summit, PM Modi mistake by Congress media coordinator. for many decades. Caste and religion
According to the Puranas, the holy utilized the occasion to visit Pashupatinath Congress spokesperson asserted that have wreaked havoc with our politics
month of Shravan is considered very auspi- temple on 31 August, 2018. Interestingly, Gandhi is a Hindu and a Shiv Bhakt. commercialize this thing. We don’t want and country. This has neither benefitted
cious to pay obeisance to Lord Shiva during PM Modi has visited the temple twice in A day after the controversy broke out to do ‘dalali’ over it. We do not want to the religion nor the caste but the people
this month. It was during the month of 2014 and twice in 2018. Some critics have over his religion, Congress vice-presi- use it for political purpose too.” have fallen an easy prey to these tenta-
Shravan that the proverbial Samudra Man- opined that keeping in view the ensuing dent Rahul Gandhi said he and his family Currently, Rahul Gandhi is under- cles that entail the potential of killing the
than or churning of sea occurred wherein state assembly elections in Chhattisgarh, members were ‘Shiv Bhakts’ (devotees taking the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra in democracy and tarnish India’s name as
Lord Shiva had to wear a crescent moon Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, three of Lord Shiva) but asserted that he did accordance with a wish he expressed in the largest democracy in the world.
on his head due to the grave effects of BJP-ruled states crucial for the BJP, PM not want to use his religion for political April this year when his plane plunged Undoubtedly, India has moved into
the poison that he swallowed and all Modi’s visit to the temple assumes signifi- gains. In order to allay apprehensions hundreds of feet during the campaign the 21st century not only as a rising
the other gods began pouring water from cance as it did happen in May 2018 at the about his religion, Rahul Gandhi said on for the Karnataka polls. According to power but as a truly secular nation;
the holy river Ganga. This was done to time of Karnataka assembly polls. 1 December 2017: “My grandmother (late media reports, the pilgrimage, aimed at nevertheless, overwhelming of religious
reduce the effect of the poison on Lord Indira Gandhi) and my family are Shiv seeking the blessings of Lord Shiva for forces over democratic forces is likely to
Shiva. Since then it has become a religious Rahul Gandhi as Shiv Bhakt Bhakts. But we keep such things private. prosperity and success of the country continue in the 2019 elections and oc-
ritual to offer holy Ganga water to Lord For past some years, the BJP has been We generally do not speak about them. and its people, will take about 12 days. currence of such an eventuality could be
Shiva during the holy month of Shravan. It raising hue and cry over Rahul Gandhi’s Because, we think it is a very personal It is worth mentioning here that in detrimental to India’s future.
is believed that performance of this ritual, credentials as a Hindu. This hue and cry matter and we don’t need anyone else’s 2015, just after the Uttarakhand floods,
apart from removing away negativity, was raised to the highest pitch during the certificate about it. We don’t want to Rahul had undertaken the Kedarnath LETTERS@TEHELKA.COM

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