BHOPAL: With their 15-month-old government in Madhya Pradesh under threat of being toppled by 22 rebels with the BJP's support, ruling Congress MLAs and ministers are rushing to Hindu temples believed to possess "esoteric enemy-conquering powers."
While the 80-odd Congress and allied independent MLAs housed at two resorts in Jaipur have offered prayers at two temples in Sikar and Dausa district of Rajasthan over the last 24 hours, a cabinet minister of the troubled Kamal Nath government performed the special 'Shatru Vinashak' havan at the Goddess Baglamukhi Temple in Nalkheda town of Agar-Malwa district of Madhya Pradesh on Saturday.
The Goddess Baghlamukhi temple houses one of the ten mahavidyas, Baglamukhi or Pitambara, and is believed to possess the powers to destroy enemies.
Several politicians from across the country have offered prayers and performed special havans here in crisis situations, particularly at the time of elections.
Just a few days back, Leader of Opposition in Madhya Pradesh Assembly Gopal Bhargava and state BJP President VD Sharma had performed a special havan at the same temple -- which has special significance in Hindu tantric practices.
Trying to play down why the special havan was performed by him at the temple on Saturday, the MP public relations and law minister PC Sharma (a Digvijaya Singh loyalist) said, "I'm also the minister of religious affairs and spirituality department, so I had come to take stock of government work for devotees' welfare underway here. We are at the Maa Baglamukhi Temple so there is no danger to our government. 121 Congress and allied MLAs are still with us and when the floor test is conducted in the Assembly, we'll have four to five more legislators in our support."
According to sources, three to four MP Congress MLAs, presently in Jaipur, may perform a special havan at the same temple on Monday.
In Rajasthan, meanwhile, the 80-odd Congress and independent MLAs (who are housed in two resorts in Jaipur) including home minister Bala Bachchan offered prayers at the famous Khatu Shyamji Temple in Sikar district on Friday.
The temple is very popular with pilgrims and devotees who believe it houses the miraculously rediscovered head of Barbarika or Khatushyam, a character from the Mahabharat.
Meanwhile, as per informed sources, some MP Congress legislators in Jaipur also offered prayers at the Balaji Hanuman Temple in the adjoining Dausa district of Rajasthan on Saturday.
The temple housing the childhood form of crisis alleviator Lord Hanuman has a reputation for ritualistic healing and exorcism of evil spirits, which attracts pilgrims from across the country.