Babri Masjid dispute has nothing to do with Hindu faith: Agnivesh

Social activist Swami Agnivesh has urged the Central Government to complete the remaining proceedings in the Babri Masjid demolition case, in which several BJP leaders were chargesheeted by the

KOCHI: Social activist Swami Agnivesh has urged the Central Government to complete the remaining proceedings in the Babri Masjid demolition case, in which several BJP leaders were chargesheeted by the CBI.  Agnivesh welcomed the Supreme Court decision to consider the controversial Ramjanmabhoomi-Babri Majid issue as a land dispute case. “Hindu fundamentalists are persuading Muslim groups to give up their claims on Babri Masjid. The dispute has nothing to do with Hindu faith though BJP leaders claim it to be a matter of Hinduism.  First, a decision should be taken over the further proceedings in the Babri Masjid demolition case in which leaders, including L K Advani, have been chargesheeted,” he told reporters here on Saturday.

Agnivesh lambasted the claim of Hindu groups that the disputed land is the actual birthplace of Lord Rama. “There is no historical evidence to prove Rama was born at the place where Babri Masjid is located. There are more than 15 temples, claiming to be the actual birthplace of Rama, in the vicinity of the controversial land,” he said. He also cited a host of reasons to contradict the claim Babri Majid was constructed after demolishing a temple in 1528.

“Poet Thulasidas was in Ayodhya when the invaders alleged to have desecrated the temple. Thulasidas should have been disturbed if a temple was demolished. There has been no mention of any such attack on the temple in any of his literary works. Great scholars like Guru Gobind Singh, Maharshi Dayanand, Swami Vivekananda or Mahatma Gandhi never mentioned about a Ram temple in Ayodhya in their lifetime,” he said.

He also called for a movement against the blind faith that has been affecting society. “India is hit by social inequality and injustice because our society could not eradicate blind faith. Earlier, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had come out against blind faith, but no movement was launched against it,” he said.
He was also critical about Prime Minister Narendra Modi for inciting communal sentiments. He blamed Modi’s speeches during the Gujarat election had communal overtones.

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