Want to affix your nameplate: Kharge to PM on Manikarnika Ghat redevelopment
New Delhi (PTI): Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday lashed out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the redevelopment of the Manikarnika Ghat in Varanasi and alleged that he wants to erase every historical heritage to "simply affix" his own nameplate.
"You have committed the crime of demolishing the rare ancient heritage of Manikarnika Ghat, which was described in the Gupta period and later restored by Lokmata Ahilyabai Holkar, under the pretext of renovation," Kharge said in a post on X.
In the name of beautification and commercialisation, Prime Minister Modi has ordered "bulldozers to demolish centuries-old religious, cultural, and spiritual heritage at Manikarnika Ghat in Varanasi", he said.
"Narendra Modi ji... You want to erase every historical heritage and simply affix your own nameplate," Kharge said in his post.
ALSO READ: Two girls found hanging at SAI hostel in Kerala's Kollam
Protestors have opposed a demolition drive under the redevelopment plan of the Manikarnika Ghat and alleged damage to a century-old idol of Ahilyabai Holkar, a charge refuted by the district administration.
District Magistrate Satyendra Kumar on Wednesday said artefacts had been "secured" by the culture department and would be reinstalled in their original form after the work is completed. He added that the revamp was aimed at improving sanitation and space management at the ghat which witnesses a large number of cremations daily.
According to Kharge, small and large temples and shrines were demolished in the name of a corridor and it is now the turn of the ancient ghats.
Kashi, the world's oldest city, is a confluence of spirituality, culture, education, and history that attracts the entire world, the Congress chief said.
"Is the intention behind all this again to benefit your business associates? You have handed over water, forests, and mountains to them, and now it's the turn of our cultural heritage," Kharge alleged.
"The people of the country have two questions for you: Couldn't restoration, cleaning, and beautification have been done while preserving the heritage? The entire country remembers how your government, without any consultation, removed the statues of great Indian personalities, including Mahatma Gandhi and Babasaheb Ambedkar, from the Parliament complex and placed them in a corner," Kharge said.
At the Jallianwala Bagh Memorial, the sacrifices of our freedom fighters were erased from the walls in the name of this same "renovation", he claimed.
Why were the centuries-old statues at Manikarnika Ghat, which fell victim to the bulldozers, destroyed and reduced to rubble, he asked.
"Couldn't they have been preserved in a museum? You claimed, 'Maa Ganga has called me'. Today, you have forgotten Ma Ganga. The ghats of Varanasi are the identity of Varanasi. Do you want to make these ghats inaccessible to the public?" Kharge said.
Millions of people come to Kashi every year in the final stages of their lives to attain salvation, Kharge said and asked the prime minister if his "intention to betray the faith of these devotees".
The protest, which began on Tuesday, was led by members of the Pal Samaj Samiti and supported by sections of the Marathi community and other local groups.
Mahendra Pal of the Samiti claimed that the century-old idol of Holkar at the ghat was removed during the demolition drive. Ajay Sharma, president of the Sanatan Rakshak Dal, alleged that several consecrated idols at the ghat were damaged, calling it an affront to religious sentiments.
Congress's Uttar Pradesh president, Ajay Rai, accused the BJP government of destroying the historic Manikarnika Ghat in the name of renovation, calling it "an attack on the city's soul and Sanatan culture"
Manikarnika Ghat is among the oldest and most sacred cremation grounds in Hinduism and is believed to grant 'moksha', or liberation from the cycle of birth and death, giving it immense religious and cultural significance.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Senior actor Suhasini Mulay takes exception to trolling of ‘Ikkis’, support for ‘The Kashmir Files’
Mumbai: Veteran film actor Suhasini Mulay, who stars in late legend Dharmendra’s last movie ‘Ikkis’, has stood up for the movie, pointing at how critics in the current social circumstances uphold a movie like ‘The Kashmir Files’, but have been trolling ‘Ikkis’, which carries the message that war brings only bloodshed and trauma.
‘Ikkis’, directed by Sriram Raghavan, is an anti-war film at its heart, but continues to be trolled online and face severe criticism.
Speaking at the Gauhati Press Club, Mulay, who is known for her roles in Dil Chahta Hai, Lagaan, and Jodhaa Akbar, defended and praised the movie, stating that by no means did ‘Ikkis’ depict Pakistanis as ‘ghosts and demons’ but showed them as ‘humans’, according to a report in The Indian Express.
Comparing it to ‘The Kashmir Files’ and similar movies, the senior actor said that it was the impact of the present setup in society. “I was told by the scriptwriter that they were being trolled by the people. If you are in this society in this era, then you will be trolled. So, you don’t make such films. You make ‘The Kashmir Files’, you will get your entertainment tax waived,” she added, sharply.
Calling the current political cinema ideologically right-wing, Mulay said, “Religious dominance is the norm. There has been an incredible projection of violence, which we never saw earlier. And it is both mental and physical. There is also the huge question of ‘otherisation’ of indigenous people and minorities, not just Muslims, but all minorities.”
In a recent conversation with Scroll, filmmaker Sriram Raghavan spoke about the trolling since the release of ‘Ikkis’.
“I was completely surprised. There are all kinds of movies made by different kinds of people. I have made what is best for me, what we felt had the most heart, which would resonate. I am not pro this or pro that. I wanted people to come out with a certain feeling in their hearts. It’s a humane feeling,” the director said.
