Shankaracharyas must bless Ram Temple, not criticise, says Union minister Narayan Rane
Palghar, Jan 14: Union Minister Narayan Rane has said the Shankaracharyas should bless the Ram Temple instead of criticising some aspects and accused them of looking at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP through a "political prism".
Speaking to reporters here on Saturday, he also said the Shankaracharyas must spell out their own contribution to Hinduism.
"No one could do it until now. Modi, BJP took it up and a temple is being built. Should they bless the temple or criticise it? It means Shankaracharyas look at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP through a political prism. This temple is not built on politics but on religion. Ram is our God," Rane said.
"Shankaracharyas should tell what is their contribution to the Hindu religion," he added.
Asked about Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray stating that President Droupadi Murmu must inaugurate the Ram Temple, Rane said he would not comment on someone "who has no job and sits at home."
Rane claimed Thackeray's faction would take a further hit as "eight out of 16 MLAs with him are approaching us (BJP-led ruling alliance) and would join soon".
The Shiv Sena split in June 2022 after a majority of MLAs sided with Eknath Shinde, who went on to become chief minister with the support of the BJP.
Meanwhile, Maharashtra Congress spokesperson Atul Londhe accused Rane of insulting the Hindu religion and its spiritual heads.
Rane doesn't know enough about Hinduism, he said, and sought the BJP's response on the minister's remarks.
On Friday, VHP working president Alok Kumar said two of the four Shankaracharyas have "openly welcomed" the upcoming consecration ceremony, but none of them would attend the grand event to be held in Ayodhya on January 22.
They will visit the Ram temple later "as per their convenience", he told PTI.
The opposition parties have been targeting the BJP over reports of respective Shankaracharyas of Shri Shringeri Sharda Peeth Karnataka, Dwarka Sharda Peeth in Gujarat, Jyotir Peeth in Uttarakhand and Govardhan Peeth in Odisha deciding not to attend the consecration ceremony.
Jyotirpeeth Sankaracharya Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati had reportedly said it would not be right to perform a consecration ceremony at this stage as the construction is yet to be completed.
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
