CHANDIGARH: At a time when the Manohar Lal Khattar-led BJP government in Haryana is turning to sadhus to mentor sarpanchs, the opposition too seems to find it convenient to take the religious route to appease voters. Political observers feel it will help politicians hit two birds with a stone.
On July 30, Haryana government had organized a special programme for the sarpanchs and gram sachivs (village secretaries) in Bhiwani district. The event was coordinated and chaired by seers. The state unit of the AAP has also decided to bring holy water from Hardwar in Uttarakhand during the ‘kanwar yatra’. A huge turn out of Shiva devotees from Haryana bring ‘kanwar’ (urn containing Ganges water) from Hardwar during the Hindu month of ‘Shravana’.
An INLD worker’s video in Hardwar has also gone viral on social media in Haryana. Attired in green, the man, who is leading a group of pilgrims from Haryana, is bringing a ‘kanwar’ covered with a green cloth having the picture of former deputy Prime Minister Devi Lal on it. The INLD group is seen raising slogans of ‘Devi Lal zindabad’ and ‘Chautala tera raaj aayega’. Haryana INLD has termed it as a gesture by the party workers out of their passion and their attachment to the party.
Haryana AAP in-charge Naveen Jaihind has cleared that bringing ‘kanwar’ from Hardwar was a part of the party’s programme. Jaihind said he would distribute the holy water among the Haryana CM and his cabinet colleagues. “We want to distribute water among them with a prayer that they should use their services for the well-being of the state. Otherwise, they have done a lot to break and divide the brotherhood in the state,” alleged Jaihind, adding that, “We are praying for their good senses.”
On other hand, Haryana cabinet minister Anil Vij in his take on Jaihind said, “Rather his party and leaders require some good senses and special blessings. They have already ruined Delhi and God knows what they have in mind now. They (Jaihind and his team) should rather jump into the holy river,” he said.
INLD spokesperson Parveen Attray said party workers had been bringing ‘kanwar’ for the past 15 years. “They will bring the ‘kanwar’ and will offer ‘jalabhishek’ (
coronation with water) at the Shiva temple in Chautala village. Hence, it should not be linked to politics. Rather this is the attachment of the workers with the party,” he said. Attray stated that leader of opposition and senior INLD member Abhay Singh Chautala had inaugurated a camp in Palwal, where he interacted with ‘kanwarias’ (pilgrims undertaking
kanwar yatra).
Meanwhile, Congress spokesperson Ran Singh Maan expressed that parties and leaders should refrain from mixing religion with politics. “We are clear on this,” he said.
