BJP demands Hanuman temple in Jharkhand Assembly premises : Rashtra News
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Ex-CM Raghuvar Das threatens agitation if allotment of namaz hall is not withdrawn
: The BJP in Jharkhand has demanded construction of Hanuman temple and prayer halls for other religions as well after a notification by Speaker Rabindra Nath Mahto, which surfaced on September 4, said a “namaz hall” has been allotted in the new Assembly building for Muslims.
“We’re not against namaz room but the Speaker should also construct a Hanuman temple inside the Assembly premises. If the Speaker approves, we can build the temple at our own cost,” former Speaker and senior BJP leader C.P. Singh said. BJP legislative party leader and former Chief Minister Babulal Marandi too demanded that the Assembly Secretary should “allot five rooms for other religions and a hall for Hindus as well to recite Hanuman Chalisa there”.
Chief whip of the BJP legislative party and Bokaro MLA Biranchi Narayan told Rashtra News over phone that he has demanded the Speaker to withdraw the order otherwise, he will be forced to approach the court. “Your order is unconstitutional, unparliamentarily and irreligious to appease Muslims. So you cancel it to protect constitutional values, else I’ll be compelled to approach court,” Mr. Narayan wrote in his letter. Another party leader and former CM Raghuvar Das said the BJP would launch an agitation if the Speaker’s decisions are not withdrawn.
Earlier, a notification dated September 2, undersigned by Assembly Deputy Secretary Naveen Kumar by the order of Speaker Rabindra Nath Mahato, said “room number TW348 has been earmarked as namaz hall for offering namaz in the new Assembly building”.
The ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha and the Congress supported the order.
There are only four Muslim MLAs — Irfan Ansari and Alamgir Alam (Congress) and Sarfaraz Ahmad and Hafizul Ansari (JMM) in the 81-member Assembly.
The Speaker said there was nothing “new about a namaz hall as there has been the practice of adjourning the House half an hour before the usual time on Fridays so that Muslim legislators can offer namaz”.
Politics of religion
“The BJP has the habit of doing politics of religion for its own political benefit,” said Mr. Irfan Ansari who recently hit headlines for his comments welcoming the Taliban forces in Afghanistan.
“I think prayer halls for Muslims have been there in other Assemblies and Secretariats as well. There is absolutely nothing new in Jharkhand,” P.N. Jha, a political observer based in Ranchi, said.
( News Source :Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Rashtra News staff and is published from a www.thehindu.com feed.)