Seers in Ayodhya livid over Ram temple trust official's support to Uddhav Thackeray

While seers threw in their lot with Kangana, Champat Rai appears to be backing CM

PTI1_6_2020_000226B

Spokesperson of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra has dared anyone to stop Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray from visiting Ayodhya days after some prominent seers threw in their lot with actor Kangana Ranaut.

On Monday, it came to light that Champat Rai, in a video clip, said it remains to be seen who had the guts to stop Uddhav Thackeray from visiting the city after some seers had said the chief minister would not be welcome in Ayodhya. Rai is the general secretary and the spokesperson of the Trust which is charged with the task of building the Ram Mandir. His statement was in response to the anger of some seers over the way in which the Maharashtra government had targeted actor Kangana Ranaut.

In the 29-second video clip, the veracity of which has not been independently verified, Rai says, “(If) someone has so been fed by his mother (s/he) will face Uddhav Tackeray in Ayodhya”. Rai’s allusion was to the Hindi figure of speech ‘ma ka doodh peena’ (to have the courage).

Mahant Raju Das of the Hanumagrahi said, “It is the duty of saints to stand with what is good for the nation. Does Rai support the lynching of sadhus in Palghar, the attack on a retired Army official (in Noida) and the intellectual attack on a daughter of the nation?”.

On Saturday, some seers in Ayodhya had attacked Thackeray over the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput and the demolition of Ranaut’s office by the city’s municipal corporation. That had come with a warning for the CM to stay away from Ayodhya. Ranaut has been outspoken in her criticism of the manner in which the Maharashtra Police and the government have handled the investigation into Rajput’s death.

Mahant Dharmadas, another seer from Ayodhya, said, “This is the city of saints. If the saints do not want it, Thackeray cannot enter the city. Rai’s defence of Thackeray is laughable. Why is the Shiv Sena bitter over the support we have offered to this country’s daughter?”

Thackeray, who is the chairperson of the Shiv Sena’s, has had his son Aaditya’s name also tossed around in connection with the many conspiracy theories that have surrounded Rajput’s death.

Swami Ramdineshacarya said, “The Shiv Sena has adopted the politics of appeasement. It is not what it used to be. It merely eyes the vote bank. It is not the Sena which used to stand with seers for the protection of Hindusim”.

Seers have demanded an apology from Rai, especially since he holds a prominent place in the Trust.

“It is unpardonable that Rai speak in support of someone who is criticised for the lynching of sadhus”, said another seer, Paramhans Das. He termed as 'unfortunate' the fact that the handling of the affairs of the Ram Mandir had been given over to people who displayed the mindset that Rai did.

📣 The Week is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@TheWeekmagazine) and stay updated with the latest headlines