Himachal Pradesh: H.J.M. demands purification of temple after Islamic wedding, launches campaign 'Sari problem ka hal, ek lota Gangajal'

After a Muslim couple got married in the Satyanarayan temple in Shinla's Rampur, H.J.M. demanded the purification of the temple and a public apology.

Rampur (Himachal Pradesh): A day after a Muslim couple got married according to the Islamic rituals in a Hindu temple at Rampur in Shimla, the Hindu Jagran Manch (H.J.M) – a radical Hindu organisation, strongly objected to such practises and demanded purification of the temple and a public apology. The incident that was intended to spread the message of communal harmony is slowly snow-balling into a religious controversy.

Warning to march thousands of Manch workers to Rampur, State General Secretary of Hindu Jagran Manch, Kamal Gautam said, "solemnizing a marriage according to Islamic traditions in the Satyanarayan temple was wrong. The temple premises must be purified. And if the Satyanarayan Temple Trust fails to do so, the Manch workers will march to Rampur on March 12 and do the needful. The temple trust has violated the sanctity of the temple." The H.J.M. has also launched an online campaign under the banner 'Sari problem ka hal, ek lota Gangajal', Gautam added.

Refuting the allegation that the temple has become impure after the wedding, Vinay Sharma, General Secretary of the temple trust and Sah Sewa Pramukh in RSS said, "There are more than ten rooms and one community hall in the temple premises which can be used by anyone for functions by paying the fixed rent. Pure vegetarian, 'Satvik' food was served to the guests in this Islamic wedding."

Though the authorities came supported the cause of the function but Viswa Hindu Parishad – the umbrella under which the trust functions issued a warning to the temple trust asking them to refrain from conducting such functions. Issuing a statement VHP Sate President of Lekhraj Rana said, “the organization does not condone or support the use of temple premises for a 'Nikaah' ceremony but VHP has requested the temple management to refrain from hosting such events in the future”.

“VHP has nothing to do with this matter. The temple trust operates under the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, but the temple is managed by the local people. However, VHP does not support 'Nikaah' on the temple premises,” the statement further said.