Sanatana Dharma is India's national religion: Yogi Adityanath

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said that if our religious places had been desecrated in the past it is our duty to take them back.

Jolore (Rajasthan): Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, known for his extreme stand on religiosity, said on Friday that Sanātana Dharma is India's Rashtriya Dharma (meaning national religion) while speaking at an event here. We should rise above selfishness and connect to 'Rashtriya Dharma', he reasoned while talking about the need for Sanatana Dharma in the country. The country remains secure if everyone follows Sanatan Dharma, he added.

Referring to the Ram Temple movement which led to the desecration of the Babri Masjid and the building of the Ayodhya temple he said, "If our religious places were desecrated in the past, we need to restart our restoration campaign. Citing the example of Ayodhya, he said that the construction of the Ram Temple in the holy city began after 500 years after it was desecrated.

"All of you devotees contributed to the construction of this grand national temple of Lord Rama because it is a national sentiment," he said adding thatPrime Minister Narendra Modi made the entire countrymen pledge to respect their heritage and preserve it. The restoration of Lord Neelkanth's temple again after 1400 years on a grand note is an example of respect for and protection of heritage, he added.

Speaking about Rajasthan he said that the state is the focal point of coordination of religion, karma, devotion and power. "If you want to understand the real secrets of religion, then it is necessary to come to Rajasthan," he added.

In common parlance, sanatana dharma refers to the eternal set of duties that all Hindus should follow. Yogi's reference to it ahead of Rajasthan polls suggests the polarisation campaign that the saffron brigade may resort to in the desert state.