Published By: Kavya Mishra
Last Updated: October 24, 2023, 20:05 IST
Senior Congress leader Kamal Nath is contesting from Chhindwara. (File: PTI)
Wishing people on the occasion of Dussehra, the former chief minister also promised an increase in the honorarium of Hindu priests besides providing them insurance cover in a move to counter the Hindutva plank of the Bharatiya Janata Party
Madhya Pradesh Congress chief Kamal Nath on Tuesday said if voted to power in the assembly elections, the Congress will revive the project to construct Sitamata temple in Sri Lanka even as he made a string of promises mostly concerning Hindu community.
He also said the new government will be committed to the upliftment of faith and culture in the state.
Wishing people on the occasion of Dussehra, the former chief minister also promised an increase in the honorarium of Hindu priests besides providing them insurance cover in a move to counter the Hindutva plank of the Bharatiya Janata Party.
Prominent assurances announced by Nath on his X handle include the development of the Shri Ram Van Gaman Path (the route believed to be taken by Lord Ram during his exile in the forest), declaring Janapav, the birthplace of Lord Parshuram, as a holy pilgrimage site, and establishment of Ravidas Peeth in Morena and Sant Kabir Peeth in Rewa.
The Congress leader said a scheme will be launched to extend financial help to members of the Hindu community for performing last rites.
Notably, the erstwhile Kamal Nath-led government had planned the construction of a Sita Mata (goddess Sita) Mandir in Sri Lanka but things could not move forward as the government collapsed midway.
“The project for the construction of Sita Mata Mandir in Sri Lanka will be revived as soon as Congress forms a government in Madhya Pradesh,” Nath said.
“On this holy festival of Vijayadashami, I want to tell the people of Madhya Pradesh that no stone will be left unturned for the upliftment of faith and culture under the Congress government,” he posted on X.
He also stated that idols of Lord Ram, Nishadraj and Kewatraj- all related to Ramayana- will be installed in Chitrakoot and the security of Mahakaleshwar and Omkareshwar temples will be enhanced.
He said the ticket system for darshan in these temples will be streamlined and a system will be put in place to ensure that no one misses out on worshipping the deities.
After coming to power, the Congress government would launch Shravan Kumar Matra-Pitra Bhakti Scheme, under which Rs 10,000 will be provided for the cremation and subsequent ritual of ‘asthi visarjan’ (immersion of ashes of the dead), Nath added.
He also promised the beautification of religious places and the development of a Sarv Prarthana Sthal, where idols of Gurus would be installed.
Nath said the new government would remove “encroachments and illegal possessions” from the religious places of all the faiths.
“A training institution will be set up for imparting Vedic teachings,” Nath said while promising to improve the rules regarding the livelihood of priests and other persons engaged in the maintenance and other works at the places of faith.
He said the government would set up “Manavta Ki Murti” dedicated to BR Ambedkar at Mhow besides the development of a national memorial at his birthplace.
The assembly polls in Madhya Pradesh are scheduled to be held on November 17.
(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed – PTI)