The decision of the Bihar government to remove temples as part of clearing encroachments from roads has been opposed by the BJP. This has also led to a war of words between the Janata Dal United (JNU) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
The latter objected to the removal of a 350-year-old temple in Patna, while the former countered that several temples had been removed from national highways and other locations with the approval of the Centre.
The dispute began when Begusarai MP and Union Minister Giriraj Singh vowed to protest in order to oppose the Bihar government’s intention to demolish the 350-year-old temple that is now in the way of an upcoming flyover on Patna’s Ashok Rajpath road.
Neeraj Kumar, a former minister and JD(U) MLC questioned the BJP’s lawmaker decision not to oppose the relocation of temples off national roads.
“First, the alignment of the proposed flyover on Ashok Rajpath was cleared by BJP MLA Nitin Nabin when he was road construction minister. Second, when the matter of removing temples from roads had come up in 2018, several BJP-ruled states told the courts concerned that temples could be removed,” he stated in an interview with The Indian Express.
“I want to know from Giriraj Singh why he did not oppose the removal of 15 temples during elevation and repair work between Simaria and Khagaria along NH-31,” he remarked citing central government data.
“In fact, several temples had been removed to clear encroachments in Rajasthan, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Uttrakhand, Karnataka and Assam. We respect all religions and our government has shifted several temples, gurudwaras and churches when they had to be removed to clear encroachments in the recent past,” the JD(U) leader mentioned.
He accused the BJP of using the temple argument to deflect attention away from governance-related concerns. In addition, Neeraj Kumar, who also serves on the Bihar State Religious Trust Council, claimed that no BJP MP nor MLA had contributed to the maintenance and development of the revered Patan Devi temple.
He alleged that however, six JD(U) legislators had given Rs 7.75 crore in support for the same. “Notably, JD(U) MLC Aafaq Ahmad donated Rs 50 lakh, thus reaffirming our belief and respect in the shared culture and tradition of our communities.”
The centuries-old building on Ashok Rajpath, according to BJP national general secretary (OBC Morcha) Nikhil Anand, should be protected from demolition in the name of encroachment.
“There are policies, but there are exceptions also. One cannot remove the 350-year-old structure just because it is within the encroachment area or town planning area. Will the Bihar government remove many mosques or Mazars that come in the way of a national highway,” he questioned.
He charged that the Bihar Chief Minister is attempting to pacify minorities. “Nitish Kumar should give one example where any mosque or Mazar has been removed in the name of development in Bihar. This historical site, which is basically a temple, is being removed to send a message to a certain section of society in the name of appeasement.”
The JD(U) and the BJP have been at odds ever since Bageshwar Dham peethadhish (high priest) Dhirendra Krishna Shastri visited Patna earlier this month for five days for religious functions. The ruling party poked fun at a number of top BJP figures for attending his sessions, while the opposition fired back by arguing that everyone was allowed to affirm their beliefs.
The Nitish Kumar administration was also slammed by the BJP for not allocating the Gandhi Maidan in Patna for Bageshwar Dham Sarkar’s event, which was instead hosted in Naubatpur, a suburb of Patna.
