By PTI
SIDDHARTHNAGAR: Members of Hindu outfits and civic body officials sprinkled ‘Ganga Jal’, water from river Ganga on a temple in Uttar Pradesh’s Siddharthnagar in an effort to ‘purify’ it after the visit by a Muslim MLA of the Samajwadi Party.
Doomariyaganj MLA Sayeda Khatoon had on Sunday visited the Samay Mata temple at the invitation of the local people to participate in a ‘Shatchandi Mahayagya’. After she left, some people not in favour of her visit purified it with ‘gangajal’ amid chanting of mantras.
Dharamraj Verma, chief of Badhani Chafa’s Nagar Panchayat where the temple is located, led the purification. The lawmaker was invited by some “unrighteous” people, he said.
“Because Sayeda Khatoon is a Muslim and eats cow meat, her visit to this holy place had made it impure,” he said. “After this purification, this place has now become completely pure and suitable for worship.”
Responding to this, Sayeda Khatoon told PTI from Lucknow that she being a people’s representative would continue to visit places related to all religions and sects and would not be deterred by any such acts.
“Many Brahmins and saints of the area are associated with me and had invited me to the ‘Samay Mata temple’ about ten days ago. I honour all religions, I am a legislator for all the people in the area and will go wherever I am invited,” Khatoon, who is known to have got several temples renovated in the area, said.
She said Verma, an elected member, is associated with BJP and Hindu Yuva Vahini, a right-wing group started by UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
The pujari of the temple, Sri Krishna Dutt Shukla, said the MLA was invited for the ‘mahayagya’ and she had come there in the evening. According to Shukla, the MLA remained there for some time and talked about amity in society before leaving.
“The next morning Verma and his team came here and questioned me why she had been called and said the temple had become impure because of her presence. They then sprinkled ‘Ganga Jal’ and carried out the cleaning exercise,” Shukla said.
A similar incident happened in Bihar last year after a Muslim minister entered the Vishnupad temple along with chief minister Nitish Kumar, prompting the temple staff to “purify” the premises. Follow channel on WhatsApp
SIDDHARTHNAGAR: Members of Hindu outfits and civic body officials sprinkled ‘Ganga Jal’, water from river Ganga on a temple in Uttar Pradesh’s Siddharthnagar in an effort to ‘purify’ it after the visit by a Muslim MLA of the Samajwadi Party.
Doomariyaganj MLA Sayeda Khatoon had on Sunday visited the Samay Mata temple at the invitation of the local people to participate in a ‘Shatchandi Mahayagya’. After she left, some people not in favour of her visit purified it with ‘gangajal’ amid chanting of mantras.
Dharamraj Verma, chief of Badhani Chafa’s Nagar Panchayat where the temple is located, led the purification. The lawmaker was invited by some “unrighteous” people, he said.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });
“Because Sayeda Khatoon is a Muslim and eats cow meat, her visit to this holy place had made it impure,” he said. “After this purification, this place has now become completely pure and suitable for worship.”
Responding to this, Sayeda Khatoon told PTI from Lucknow that she being a people’s representative would continue to visit places related to all religions and sects and would not be deterred by any such acts.
“Many Brahmins and saints of the area are associated with me and had invited me to the ‘Samay Mata temple’ about ten days ago. I honour all religions, I am a legislator for all the people in the area and will go wherever I am invited,” Khatoon, who is known to have got several temples renovated in the area, said.
She said Verma, an elected member, is associated with BJP and Hindu Yuva Vahini, a right-wing group started by UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
The pujari of the temple, Sri Krishna Dutt Shukla, said the MLA was invited for the ‘mahayagya’ and she had come there in the evening. According to Shukla, the MLA remained there for some time and talked about amity in society before leaving.
“The next morning Verma and his team came here and questioned me why she had been called and said the temple had become impure because of her presence. They then sprinkled ‘Ganga Jal’ and carried out the cleaning exercise,” Shukla said.
A similar incident happened in Bihar last year after a Muslim minister entered the Vishnupad temple along with chief minister Nitish Kumar, prompting the temple staff to “purify” the premises. Follow channel on WhatsApp
