Prayagraj: Retracting its opposition against the proposed Religious Places Registration Regulation-2020, Akhil Bharatiya Akhara Parishad (ABAP) has said that all the 13 monastic orders under it would support whatever decision the state government takes in this regard.
ABAP took this decision at a meeting held at Baghambari Gaddi in Prayagraj on Friday. On Wednesday, ABAP had opposed a move to bring in the Religious Places Registration and Regulation Ordinance for registration and regulation of the religious places in the state. ABAP president Narendra Giri said that all monasteries and temples in UP were safe and there was no threat to them. “If it was very important to bring an ordinance for religious places and if it was necessary to set up a separate directorate for them, then the opinion of seers should also be taken in this regard. It would not be appropriate to subject seers to the authority of the state government in any way.”
ABAP also said that the state government or any other agency should not entertain any organisation if the latter applies for getting registered as an ‘akhara’.
“Be it Kinnar Akhara, Pari Akhara or any other monastic order which applies for getting registered as an ‘akhara’, we demand that the government should not entertain any such claim as there cannot be any 14th akhara other that the 13 existing ones which are members of ABAP. Any organisation can merge with an existing akhara, but a separate akhara will not be accepted,” said Giri.
Opposing ABAP’s stand, Mahamandeleshwar of Kinnar Akhara Laxmi Narayan Tripathi said, “In Kumbh Mela 2019, there was so much of opposition against us, but we were still given all amenities by the state government and the same would be extended to us at Haridwar Kumbh.”
Several other important resolutions were also passed at the meeting. ABAP again demanded that the Uttarakhand government should extend all amenities to seers for Haridwar Kumbh 2021. “If seers’ proposal is not accepted, then ABAP will stage a protest and take its demands to Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” said Giri.