Paresh Dhanani (Centre)
Accusing the BJP of being “champions of fake Hindutva”, Congress MLA Paresh Dhanani, who has been named the party’s leader in the Assembly, said that he will renovate Ram temples in all 116 villages of his constituency, Amreli, at his own expense. The ruling BJP dubbed his initiative a “political drama’’.
“While the BJP is selling the dream of building a grand Ram temple in Ayodhya, it has done nothing to renovate these Ram temples that used to be once associated with social and cultural life of the people belonging to all castes and communities in rural parts of Gujarat,” Dhanani told The Indian Express Wednesday.
“If the BJP can’t look after smaller Ram temples in villages, what right has it got to make noise over Ayodhya and question Congress leaders’ visit to temples?” said Dhanani, referring to the BJP’s attack on Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi’s visits to temples in the run-up to the Assembly elections last year.
“But I say, I will go to temples, I will go to mosques, churches and gurdwaras because as a Congress leader I respect the Constitution and hold all religions in equal reverence,” Dhanani said as he accused the BJP of defaming the Congress as an “anti-Hindu party”. He claimed that his initiative is a “socio-cultural” one and not “political”.
Recounting his childhood, Dhanani said Ram temples in his village served as a meeting point where villagers “shared their joys and sorrows”. “Nowadays, Ram temples in villages are in a shambles…. As a result there is no place for villagers to share their grief and sorrows, thus driving people towards committing suicide,” said Dhanani. “What I am doing is reviving the old tradition by linking faith with the old village culture in order to bring new life in villages,” the 41-year-old leader said.
He said he would carry out the renovation work through his Parivartan Trust, which has been working to promote education, social and cultural values among the rural population since 1992.
“Previously, the Congress cheated people on the pretext of removing poverty. Now, they are trying to cheat them on the pretext of Hindutva. But people of Gujarat know them and will not fall victim to their bait,” said BJP spokesperson Bharat Pandya.