PRAYAGRAJ: Taking their endeavour against government control over temples across the country forward, the saints and seers gathered to attend Kendriya Margdarshak Mandal meeting at VHP camp on Maha Kumbh mela campus, on late Friday.
Advocating the lifting of government control over the temples, Acharya Mahamandaleshwar Avdheshanand Giri said donations worth Rs 1.86 lakh crore from temples were going to government coffers.
Prominent seers from the country held deliberations on various issues pertaining to the Hindu community.
Expressing concern over the declining birth rate among Hindus, the seers said it was imperative for every use Hindu family to have at least three children.
There is a need to increase the birth rate among Hindus to keep the population balanced," said a senior VHP functionary.
He added that seers associated with the organisation had launched an awareness campaign across the nation to free Hindu temples from government control.
The call for the campaign was given from the Bada Sabha in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh recently.
"The seers and saints have urged that all temples be freed from government control. They want scrapping of laws that give government control and the management of temples and the same should be handed over to the faithful," he said.
The seers at the meeting welcomed the Union government's move to bring a waqf law to control the unfettered powers of the Waqf Board asserting that this law should be passed unanimously by all MPs.
"From the Dharma Sansad of 1984 onwards, the seer community, Hindu society, Vishwa Hindu Parishad and the Sangh, have been committed to getting the three key temples of Ayodhya, Mathura and Kashi,” the VHP functionary said.
He noted that “For the uplift of the country, social harmony, environment protection, inculcation of Hindu values through family enlightenment and eradication of social evils, self-awareness is a must.”
Flaying the candle march groups, seers questioned why were they silent when Hindus were targeted in Bangladesh recently. VHP said it would keep on raising voice to protect Hindu minorities in Bangladesh. VHP functionaries said they would demand return of the religious sites to Hindus where evidences of temples have been found.