Rajasthan BJP suffers face loss over Salasar shrine gate demolition

JAIPUR: The state BJP, which had been crying hoarse over demolition of an overhead entrance gate on Salasar-Sujangarh road leading to Salasar Balaji temple in Churu district, had to eat the humble pie after trying to target the Congress government by raising the issue in the assembly on Monday.
Disallowing deputy leader of opposition Rajendra Rathore to raise the matter through an adjournment motion, Speaker CP Joshi said it was the central government and a contractor appointed by it that demolished the construction, which was very unfortunate.
Joshi said the assembly cannot discuss an issue concerning the Centre. The BJP leaders then turned silent. A day earlier, BJP had threatened state-wide demonstrations over the demolition saying that the Congress government had hurt people’s religious sentiments by knocking down the huge gate without removing the idols of ‘Ram Darbar’ installed atop it.
Joshi said, “The idol of Lord Ram was installed there. The way it was brought down, it is unfortunate. Your sentiments will be conveyed to the government of India. This subject will not be discussed in the House,” the Speaker asserted.
The gate located on a road heading towards the famous Salasar Balaji temple was demolished for widening the road from the present two-lane to four-lane.
Outside the assembly, Congress targeted the BJP on raking up the issue without knowing the facts.
PCC chief Govind Singh Dotasra told reporters outside the assembly that the welcome gate was constructed by an NGO on which there were idols of Ram Darbar made of Plaster of Paris and were placed on the gate without ‘Pran Pratistha’. Pran Pratistha is a religious ritual performed while installing an idol.
He said now the road is being widened, therefore the gate was demolished, but it was unfortunate that the idols were not removed from the gate before demolishing it.
Dotasra alleged that the BJP state president and other leaders have made phone calls to the priests of Salasar to start an agitation over the issue.
“BJP leaders are calling the priests of the temple to start an agitation and BJP wants to give it (agitation) an aggressive form,” he said while accusing the BJP of doing politics of religion. “They are left with just one work, divide people in the name of religion,” he alleged.
Dotasra said during the rule of the previous BJP government led by Vasundhara Raje, over 300 temples were demolished in Jaipur. He said the idols in those temples were installed after Pran Pratistha, but they were demolished due to hypocrisy of the saffron party..
BJP indulges in misinformation campaign: RTDC chairman Dharmendra Rathore in a statement alleged the BJP leaders have been indulging in misinformation campaigns through social media to mislead the public and defame other parties for their misdeeds as was established in the demolition of the Salasar-Balaji mandir gate.
He said on such sensitive issues, the BJP leaders should have first ascertained the facts before making statements which could disturb communal harmony