Temple row: Why BJP affiliates are angry with Vasundhara Raje

The Hindu organisations affiliated to the Bharatiya Janata Party held a two-hour “chakka jam” in Jaipur on June 9 protesting against demolition of temples by different authorities in Jaipur over the past one year.

Embattled Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje, herself deeply religious, has offered long prayers at Pitambara Peeth in Datia (Madhya Pradesh) on July 8 and 9. She frequently visits this temple but her latest visit can be easily linked to her recent troubles.

Here are ten reasons why it is more than an issue of faith for protesters and why officials have no option but to be still more ruthless in their campaign against unauthorised religious structures.

1) Some disgruntled BJP leaders feel that Lalit Modi episode has left Raje vulnerable and she can be forced to consider their demands such as their inclusion in the state cabinet using the temple issue.

2) Some ministers feel that they can use this issue to replace some officials, who they feel do not give enough importance, with their own people.

3) The unauthorised religious structures are being removed as per orders of the Supreme Court, a process which began a couple of years ago. This is being regularly monitored with regular seeking of compliance reports from officials.

4) A survey during Congress regime indicated 58,000 such religious places of which 900 were in Jaipur. On an average, three per cent were Islamic.

5) Congress demolished 27. BJP government in process of building ring road demolished 73 of which eight were Islamic last year. Most of these were not more than 50 years old, were given an alternative plot of land where some have been built.

6) In June , six ancient temples that were on proposed route of Jaipur metro in walled city, were removed and relocated in small, lookalike small structures at one place. Some of these, including Rojgareshwar Mahadev, had a good number of followers.

7) On June 30, Rajasthan High Court in very strong terms imposed a fine of Rs five lakh on the management of an unauthorised temple located on a very busy traffic junction in Raja Park. It also ordered its demolition and rejected the state’s offer to allot it an alternative plot of land. It has become a prestige issue for the BJP to save this temple.

8) The high court found it absurd when the government said it would realign roads if any religious place, even if unauthorised comes in the way. But Hindu groups say old temples cannot be considered encroachments and government must rebuild some, including Rojgareshwar Mahadev at the same place.

9) The high court ordered authorities to initiate criminal proceedings against all those who have made unauthorised religious structures on government land.

10) Biggest worry of the BJP and Hindu groups is how to save many more temples including those at public parks from demolition and their management from criminal prosecution.