Photo courtesy of The Siasat Daily
New Delhi: A Ram temple in Rajasthan’s Alwar was purified after Rajasthan’s Leader of Opposition Tikaram Jully, who is a Dalit, visited the temple.
It is reported that the temple was purified following the orders by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) former MLA Gyandev Ahuja, The Siasat Daily reported.
Ahuja reportedly sprinkled ‘gangajal’ all over its premises after Tikaram Jully left the temple having attended the Pran Pratishtha Mahotsav on Ram Navami day, April 6.
Jully, expressed anger at the incident calling out Ahuja’s caste-driven mind, saying the BJP leader endorsed untouchability.
‘Does BJP hate Dalits so much that it cannot even see us doing puja? Do only BJP leaders have the right over God?’ he asked in a post on platform X.
Jully sought CM Bhajanlal Sharma and BJP state unit president Madan Rathore to clarify if they support ‘washing’ a temple after a Dalit’s visit.
However, Gyandev Ahuja justified ‘purification’ rite terming non-believers of Lord Ram as ‘sinful’, adding that those who did not believe in Lord Ram were invited for Pran Pratishtha Mahotsav.
Former chief minister Ashok Gehlot and other congress leaders called Ahuja’s act an insult to a Dalit.
Gehlot posted on X: ‘The incident where BJP leader Gyandev Ahuja sprinkled Ganga water after the Leader of Opposition Tikaram Jully visited the temple reflects the BJP’s narrow-mindedness towards Dalits. This is unacceptable in the 21st century and deserves strong condemnation.’