Edited By: Revathi Hariharan
Last Updated: January 28, 2023, 12:40 PM IST
Yogi Adityanath made the statement while speaking at Neelkanth Mahadev Temple in Bhinmal, Rajasthan (Photo: @myogiadityanath)
In his speech, Yogi also called for a campaign for the restoration of desecrated temple on the lines of Ayodhya where the construction of a grand temple of Lord Rama is going on after 500 years
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday said, ‘Sanatan Dharma is the national religion of India’ and that every Indian citizen must respect this. He was speaking at an event at the Neelkanth Mahadev Temple in Bhinmal, Rajasthan.
The Chief Minister was presiding over the restoration and consecration of the idol programme at the temple and urged people to run a campaign to restore desecrated religious places on the lines of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, reports ANI.
Jalore, Raj |Sanātana Dharma India’s ‘Rashtriya Dharma’.Rising above selfishness,we connect to ‘Rashtriya Dharma’. Country remains secure…if our religious places were desecrated,restoration campaign begins. Construction of Ram Temple in Ayodhya began after 500 yrs..:UP CM(27.1) pic.twitter.com/DMEJy1WCZT— ANI (@ANI) January 28, 2023
In a video of the speech, Yogi Adityanath is heard saying, “Sanatan Dharma is India’s Rashtriya Dharma. Rising above selfishness, we connect to Rashtriya Dharma. Our Country remains secure, if a campaign begins for restoration of religious places that were desecrated.”
The statement was instantly met with criticism by the Congress. Former MP, Udit Raj tweeted, “Yesterday, I got a call from some buddhist friends asking if Sanatan Dharma is the national religion, what will happen to us? Who can deny the existence of Sanatan Dharma? I thought that Yogi ji should be asked whether there are other religions or not, that’s all. There must be an intellectual discussion.”
In his speech, Yogi also called for a campaign for the restoration of desecrated temple on the lines of Ayodhya where the construction of a grand temple of Lord Rama is going on after 500 years with the efforts of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “All of you devotees contributed to the construction of this grand national temple of Lord Rama, representing national sentiment,” the UP CM said.
Yogi Adityanath praised Rajasthan for being 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 said.
He also said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi made everyone in the country 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.
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