BHOPAL: After tribals, Dalits and women, it’s now time for the ruling BJP to woo the Brahmins, six months before the assembly poll in Madhya Pradesh.
Addressing an event at the famous Gufa Temple complex in Bhopal to mark the Parashurama Jayanti on Saturday, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan announced the constitution of a Brahmin Welfare Board.
He also announced developing Bhagwan Sri Parashurama Lok religious corridor in the Janapav Kuti village in Indore district on the lines of the Mahakal Lok religious corridor at Ujjain’s Mahakal Temple and other proposed religious corridors, like Ram Raja Lok at Orchha (Niwari), Hanuman Lok in Chhindwara and Vanvasi Ram Lok at Chitrakoot (Satna).
Located on the Indore-Mumbai highway, the Janapav is the highest peak of the Vindhyachal mountain range and also believed to be the birthplace of Lord Parashurama – the incarnation of Lord Vishnu.
The MP CM who had made a slew of announcements on Parashurama Jayanti in 2022, also informed the gathering about the measures that have already been taken to include a chapter on Lord Parashurama in the Class VIII syllabus in the state – a promise which was made at the Jayanti last year. Also, scholarships have been started for Sanskrit and Vedic Karmakand students. Moreover, a monthly honorarium of `5,000 has been instituted for temple priests.
“As many as 3,547 Sanskrit teachers have been appointed in the state. Keeping in mind the requirements of Sanskrit teachers in government schools, more appointments will follow suit,” Chouhan announced.
Addressing the event titled ‘Akshayutsav-2023 (marking Parashurama Jayanti and Akshaya Tritiya festival), the Hindu Rashtra supporter, young godman Dhirendra Shastri, said that for making the dream of Hindu Rashtra real, Hindus will have to unite, bidding adieu to castes.
The MP CM’s announcements on Parashurama Jayanti have a major significance with regards to Brahmin voters, who hold sway on dozens of seats in Vindhya region (BJP’s lone bright spot in 2018 assembly polls), Gwalior-Chambal (where the saffron party performed miserably five years back) and Bundelkhand region.