On 28th July 2023, Samajwadi Party leader Swami Prasad Maurya said that the Hindu holy site Badrinath was originally a Buddhist shrine. He made this statement while reacting to the proposed ASI survey of the disputed structure at the Gyanvapi complex in Varanasi.
Swami Prasad Maurya tweeted, “Are you missing the faith issue now? Is the faith of others, not a faith? That’s why we had said that no one’s faith should be hurt, so any dispute can be avoided by considering the status of any religious place on August 15, 1947. Otherwise one should be ready to accept the historical truth. Badrinath was a Buddhist monastery till the 8th century, after that, this Badrinath Dham was made a Hindu pilgrimage site, this is true.”
आखिर मिर्ची लगी न, अब आस्था याद आ रही है। क्या औरों की आस्था, आस्था नहीं है? इसलिए तो हमने कहा था किसी की आस्था पर चोट न पहुँचे इसलिए 15 अगस्त 1947 के दिन जिस भी धार्मिक स्थल की जो स्थिति थी, उसे यथास्थिति मानकर किसी भी विवाद से बचा जा सकता है। अन्यथा ऐतिहासिक सच स्वीकार करने के…
— Swami Prasad Maurya (@SwamiPMaurya) July 28, 2023
Swami Prasad Maurya also said, “If an inquiry is being conducted by the archaeology department, then all Hindu temples should also be investigated. Most of these temples have been built by demolishing Buddhist monasteries.”
This statement of Swami Prasad Maurya has been widely opposed in Uttarakhand. Uttarakhand’s chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami criticised his remarks. The Chardham Teerth Purohit Mahapanchayat strongly opposed the statement of SP General Secretary Swami Prasad Maurya regarding Badrinath Dham.
CM Dhami said, “The Samajwadi Party leader’s remarks on the Vaikuntha Dham on Earth, that is, Shri Badrinath Dham, a centre of faith for crores of devotees, are unfortunate. This statement made by a Samajwadi Party leader as a member of the ‘Mahathagbandhan’ reflects the anti-national and anti-religious mindset of the Congress and its allies. This thought also reveals the dominance of SIMI and PFI ideology prevailing within these parties.”
CM Dhami added, “It is natural for the alliance he is part of to make such statements. These people believe in appeasement. His name is Swami. At least he should think before making such a statement.”
Bahujan Samaj Party leader Mayawati also criticised Swami Prasad Maurya for his statement about Badrinath. She tweeted, “Samajwadi Party leader Swami Prasad Maurya’s latest statement that many temples, including Badrinath, have been built by demolishing Buddhist monasteries and why the modern survey should be done of Gyanvapi Mosque alone but also of other major temples, is a purely political statement giving rise to new controversies.”
1. समाजवादी पार्टी के नेता श्री स्वामी प्रसाद मौर्य का ताजा बयान कि बद्रीनाथ सहित अनेकों मन्दिर बौद्ध मठों को तोड़कर बनाये गये हैं तथा आधुनिक सर्वे अकेले ज्ञानवापी मस्जिद का क्यों बल्कि अन्य प्रमुख मन्दिरों का भी होना चाहिए, नए विवादों को जन्म देने वाला यह विशुद्ध राजनीतिक बयान।
— Mayawati (@Mayawati) July 30, 2023
Ajendra Ajay, Chairman of Badrinath Kedarnath Temple Committee said, “Badrinath Dham is a symbol of the faith of crores of Hindus. Samajwadi Party’s character has always been anti-Hindu. They try to make the shrines of Hindus appear disputed. The SP leader’s statement is condemnable.”
The Chardham Teerth Purohit Mahapanchayat strongly opposed the statement of SP General Secretary Swami Prasad Maurya regarding Badrinath Dham. Mahapanchayat president Suresh Semwal and general secretary Dr Brijesh Sati said that Maurya should study first, and only then share his knowledge.
The Mahapanchayat said, “Swami Prasad Maurya is trying to shine his politics under the guise of religion. Badrinath is the main dham among the Char Dham, which is also called the Dham of Salvation. This Dham is famous from the time before Buddhism came into existence. Adi Guru Shankaracharya was in the fifth century. The Badrinath temple was renovated by him.”
