Mumbai: Other religions' places of worship are not under government control and therefore Hindu temples must be freed from government control, said Ramgiri Maharaj at the inaugural session of the third Maharashtra Mandir Nyas Parishad at Shirdi.
Ramgiri Maharaj was speaking at the third Maharashtra Temple Trust Conference organised by the Maharashtra Mandir Mahasangh, Shri Jivdani Devi Sansthan, Shri Jyotirling Bhimashankar Devasthan, Shri Sai Palkhi Niwara, and the Hindu Janajagruti Samiti.
Over 750 invited trustees, representatives, priests, lawyers fighting for the protection of temples, scholars, and others from across Maharashtra participated in this conference organized at Shridi’s Shri Sai Palkhi Niwara.
Ramgiri Maharaj, the head of Sadguru Gangagiri Maharaj Institution in Ahilyanagar who was earlier in the news for his controversial remarks against Mohammad Paigambar, demanded that Hindu temples be freed from government control. He said that not a single mosque or church in India is under government control despite transactions worth billions of rupees but Hindu temples are under government’s control.
“In challenging circumstances, saints have preserved the culture of temples. In the present times, Hindus visit pilgrimage sites, but if the sanctity of these places is destroyed, they ignore them. Spirituality should be within every breath and every drop of blood. If Hindus remain inactive regarding their Dharma, life will become difficult in the future,” he said.
Sunil Ghanwat, the national organiser of the Mandir Mahasangh, stressed that if thousands of trustees unite and demand the liberation of temples from government control, the government will have no choice but to grant it. He urged all trustees to think about how Hindu unity can be achieved from their temples, as temples can also provide security to Hindus in the future.
He said, "In the Lok Sabha elections, religious extremists determined their strategy in mosques. They issued fatwas about who to vote for. Then, why can't the strategy for Hinduism and the nation be decided in temples?"
Chairman of Swatantraveer Savarkar Rashtriya Smarak Mumbai Ranjit Sawant, Shirdi MP Shri Bhauseheb Waghchoure and trustees of temples from across the state were present at the conference.
Waghchoure, said, "In the past few years, I have renovated over 550 temples, and I have decided to continue the restoration of more temples in the future." The desecration of the idol at Shri Mahadev Temple near Punatamba, Shirdi, was condemned at the conference, and a demand for strict action against the culprits was made to the state government.
